It was a slightly altered starting eleven put out by Jurgen Klinsmann from the one that took the field last Friday against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, but they were resolute enough to secure a relatively convincing victory against a hard opponent.
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Jozy Altidore, now the leading usa scorer in World Cup qualifying history, punched in two quick goals in the 59th and 62nd minute.
Other than a smaller crowd, there wasn’t much for the USA team to not like about the final match in the Group C preliminary round, which the Americans won with 13 points in six matches.
Kljestan capitalized on a failed clearance to poke in a left-footer, his sixth worldwide goal, in the 44th minute. the sequence started on a throw-in, Fabian Johnson continuing into the penalty area, the Soca Warriors sending the clearance directly to Kljestan near the penalty spot.
Altidore’s night wasn’t finished yet, and minutes later he added another to his newly-minted record.
With that goal in the bank, the floodgates opened for the MNT in the second half. Played a great ball out of the back that Altidore took into the goalmouth to create a chance for Pulisic.
Pulisic did not score, but he could hardly have come closer after 31 minutes.
Pulisic, who turns 18 later this month, duly became the youngest player to start a World Cup qualifier for the USMNT.
In the 71st, Pulisic almost had the goal his play deserved. We are not through yet and this is what we clearly tell the players so for not even one second they underestimate the situation.
Trinidad and Tobago sits atop the group with 11 points and a guaranteed spot in the Hex.
Steve Birnbaum and Omar Gonzalez were paired in central defense for the first time, and Johnson dropped back from midfield.
Both sides will now move on to the “Hex”, playing round-robin games home and away against each other as well as Group A victor Mexico and runner-up Honduras.
Pulisic, who has now scored three goals in seven appearances for the United States of America since making his debut earlier this year, is widely regarded as one of the brightest talents in American soccer for years.
Christian Pulisic: The teenager forced a nice save in the 8th minute and then nearly altered the rules of physics when he hit two posts with one shot in the 32nd minute. His first finish, on the stroke of the hour, displayed a deftness of touch that has often been lacking from his game as he sidestepped a defender and stroked the ball across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner of the net.
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The home side scored their fourth in the 71st minute when Paul Arriola, who came on as substitute for Alejandro Bedoya, tapped in the rebound from Pulisic’s saved effort.
