Christian Pulisic’s performance was labelled as “wonderful” by United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann after the teenage sensation impressed in World Cup qualifying. The match is likely to be played in Columbus, Ohio, the stronghold of American soccer and site of the legendary dos a cero scoreline.
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For the Stars and Stripes, Bobby Wood and Jozy Altidore put together fine outings against St. Vincent in attack, but two substitutes stole the show.
Okay, okay, yes it’s another Christian Pulisic post.
Jozy Altidore scored a second-half brace as the United States routed Trinidad & Tobago 4-0 at home on Tuesday to win in Group C qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
The U.S.is onto the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russian Federation.
“We are very, very happy to have Jozy back healthy”, said United States head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. But while the hosts bent a bit in the opening stages as T&T applied pressure, the USA didn’t break. And it will be Pulisic who’ll have US fans giddy about his future with the national team.
Altidore, who missed most of the 2014 World Cup and all of this year’s Copa America because of hamstring injuries, hopes to remain on the field.
Klinsmann “has been talking with me and he felt I was ready”, Pulisic said.
“I don’t know what it’s like to have that much confidence at that age”. But that’s the key.
Pulisic made his first US start after seven appearances as a substitute, and at 17 years, 353 days, became the youngest American to start a qualifier. At 17 years, 353 days, he bettered Landon Donovan’s mark of 18 years, 184 days, against Honduras in 2001.
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. He put in a positive shift and there just seemed to be a noticeable air of anticipation amongst the crowd nearly every time he received possession of the ball in an attacking position.
Pulisic, who was lighting social media up all night long, suffered from an incredible lack of luck when he rang a shot off both posts in the 30th minute with the match still scoreless. “I’ve felt good in the group, I’m happy to be back and everything is going well”. Every time he got on the ball, good things happened. The challenge for him is to stay hungry and keep improving and for you guys to leave him alone.
Expect the US not to commit to the attack too much, as Trinidad and Tobago are fantastic at hitting on the counter, particularly when working the ball wide. “He just needs to keep his head and keep working”.
Klinsmann paused, then, with a grin, said: “Don’t want to give him too many compliments – gotta keep him down on the ground”. “Got to keep him down on the ground”. Altidore got his 37th global goal three minutes later, and with the chance for a hat trick chipped over the crossbar after Pulisic helped him break in as injury time started.
“Everything is laid out for us, fantastic with the Jaguars hosting us here”, said Klinsmann.
The US National Team hosts the Mexican National Team in the first round of hexagonal qualification on November 11th.
In the eighth minute, he unleashed the first USA shot of the game, a 20-yard rocket that forced a diving save from Trinidad & Tobago goalkeeper Marvin Phillip for a US corner kick. In the 44th, neat interplay between Kljestan and Fabian Johnson found Pulisic with the ball in the box on the United States left. Johnson touched the ball to Pulisic for a cross poked away by Radanfah Abu Bakr. Johnson crossed to Altidore, who juked a defender and slotted a 15-yard shot.
Altidore’s night wasn’t finished yet, and minutes later he added another to his newly-minted record. He almost got Pulisic a second with a ideal cross, but Pulisic’s shot was stopped by Phillip and deflected to Arriola, who shot it into an empty net. He scored in an exhibition win at Puerto Rico on May 22.
Captain Michael Bradley retuned from a ban and Tim Howard made his 32nd World Cup qualifying appearance, grabbing Kasey Keller’s goalkeeping record. Well, maybe they were part of it but they’re getting opportunities now. The Hex brings something of a re-set, but there was a fluency and potency in attack in this match that the U.S. will want to replicate in the coming months as they seek to secure their place in Russian Federation.
The US tried to press their advantage, but ran out of time before the half. “We see ourselves on the right path”.
Pulisic’s displays will grab plenty of the headlines, and rightly so.
Here’s another data point U.S. Soccer shouldn’t forget: All-time, the men’s national team is 5-0 in Jacksonville and won by a combined 16-3 margin. Luis Tejada converted a 90th-minute penalty kick for the visitors.
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It went back and forth between both teams as they each had chances to open the scoring.
