Mexico coach Miguel Herrera says North and Central American sides deserve the same respect as those from Europe and South America. With Mexico and Costa Rica already through to the knockout stage, and the USA poised to join them, the Concacaf region could have three sides in the last 16 for the first time.
"It clearly shows that in our region we are getting stronger and more solid," Herrera said. "Concacaf has done a good job. We know there are lots of islands and teams that don't grow but the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras are doing great work to become more worthy every day."
