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The last time the United States men's national soccer team prepared for a World Cup qualifier in Commerce City, Colo., it did so under controversy.

The U.S. was coming off a loss at Honduras to start the Hexagonal, CONCACAF's final stage of qualifying. A story in The Sporting News revealed divisions within the team and frustration with then-head coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

"We hadn't started the Hexagonal in a good way the last time around," Michael Bradley said on Wednesday in Commerce City. "On a really important night, the support here carried us through."

The support — and a freak late March snowstorm that left more than 6 inches on the field — powered the U.S. to a 1-0 win over Costa Rica in a match known as the "Snow Classico."

There will be no snow as the U.S. resumes World Cup qualifying next Thursday in Colorado, for which preparations include a friendly at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night against Venezuela. A victory in Colorado against Trinidad & Tobago would put the U.S. on track to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Through four games in the 10-game final round of qualifying, the U.S. is fourth on goal differential with 4 points, one behind Panama and three behind Costa Rica. The top three teams will automatically qualify for Russia 2018; the fourth-place team in the Hex will face a team from Asia in a home-and-home series for one of the final spots in the 32-team World Cup field.

The nature of CONCACAF qualifying gives the U.S. a solid margin of error to work with. But after starting the Hex with two losses, at home to Mexico and at Costa Rica, Klinsmann was fired — with no shortage of joy from many disgruntled supporters — and replaced by Bruce Arena, who is in his second stint as national team coach.

Arena, best known to Real Salt Lake fans as the sarcastic, wisecracking coach of the perennial MLS title contender Los Angeles Galaxy, led the U.S. to two World Cups in his first go-around as coach, including advancement to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals.

In the last round of Hex matches, Arena's first competitive matches back in charge, the U.S. hammered Honduras in San Jose, Calif., 6-0, before a 1-1 tie at Panama.

With a win next Thursday against Trinidad & Tobago, there are scenarios where the U.S. could move up to second ahead of its match at Mexico. That match will be played at the Azteca Stadium, 7,200 feet above sea level, hence the U.S. scheduling a friendly in Sandy before the match in Commerce City to help adjust to elevation.

"With Bruce, he's looking to make sure some of the things that had dropped in the last stretch with Jurgen, we can get back to a high level," Bradley said on Wednesday, "and make sure that we can take care of qualifying and put ourselves in a position to be at the World Cup next summer." —

USA vs. Venezuela

P 8 p.m. Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy

TV • FS1, Univision

Inside

O RSL's one-step-forward, two-steps-back routine is ongoing. • C3