COUVA, Trinidad and Tobago — Just win the game. Win the game against Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday, the United States national team knew, and nothing else would matter.

But the Americans didn’t win. Over 90 excruciating minutes, and then a half-dozen more in extra time, it all went very, very wrong. Even a tie would have been enough for the Americans. Even with a loss, they still might have been all right, depending on other results. But those went wrong, too.

And so the United States is not going to the World Cup in Russia next summer, but Panama is, and Honduras might. “It was a perfect storm kind of a night, where everything that could have possibly went wrong did, in this stadium and two others,” Michael Bradley, the American captain, said.

Here is how, over 90 minutes of uncommonly tense soccer in three cities, everything changed:

1st minute Three Games, Three Countries

The ball rolls off the spot to kick off World Cup qualifiers here in Couva, Trinidad; in San Pedro Sula, Honduras; and in Panama City. The United States qualifies for next year’s World Cup with a win or a tie. But if the Americans lose, and Panama and Honduras both post wins, over Costa Rica and Mexico, they’re out. Their opponent, Trinidad, is in last place in the qualifying group, with one win in nine games.