Jozy Altidore scored twice in a three-minute span of the second half, Sacha Kljestan and Paul Arriola added goals and the United States beat Trinidad and Tobago 4-0 to reach the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
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Led by Hershey, PA’s, own Christian Pulisic, the U.S. ran out 4-0 winners over Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night, in the process winning Group C and punching their ticket for the Hex.
The coach made six changes from Friday’s 6-0 away win over St Vincent & the Grenadines – two forced since Matt Besler returned home after his wife gave birth on the day that he scored his first global goal against St Vincent, and DeAndre Yedlin was suspended.
After Altidore set up Pulisic for the match’s first goal, the youngster returned the favor in the 63rd minute with a cross in front of the net. It was the 15th career goal in a World Cup qualifying match for Altidore to set a new national team record.
Among texts, calls and social media, Pulisic got his share of congratulatory messages after scoring two goals and assisting on another in the United States’ 6-0 victory at St. Vincent and the Grenadines in a World Cup qualifier last week. Guatemala would have to overcome a massive goal differential in order for it to happen.
“We badly want to win this game”, Klinsmann said. On the play, Fabian Johnson dribbled into the penalty area and passed to Pulisic who tried to cross to Altidore on a far-post run. The Red Bulls No. 10 toe-poked a scrappy rebound into the bottom corner to give the usa a 1-0 lead going into the half, following up a series of American chances, most notably Pulisic’s double-post.
The Yanks didn’t look much better in the opening minutes of the second half, but created an intriguing chance in the 53rd minute thanks to-yep-Pulisic.
Klinsmann did not start Pulisic in any of the Copa America Centenario matches in June, and has often relied on his old guard for high-pressure games. Other US based players include goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh of Louisville City, defenders Joevin Jones, Aubrey David and Mekeil Williams of the Seattle Sounders, FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids respectively, and Orlando City midfielder Kevin Molino. Some of the players are maybe looking for a contract – maybe even here in MLS – like some of them already have. “And when moments are there to give them the minutes or the start, it’s not an issue”.
Here are the modeled probabilities for both matches, followed by 1,000,000 Python simulations of both matches – 99% of the time, the USA advanced. He played as the right wing in a 4-2-3-1.
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Trinidad and Tobago’s will host the victor of Group B (Costa Rica or Panama) on the same date.
