U.S. men’s soccer on brink of qualifying for World Cup after dominating Panama

The U.S. couldn’t be any nearer to the World Cup with out really being in it.

With Christian Pulisic scoring 3 times Sunday in a 5-1 rout of Panama at a sold-out Exploria Stadium, about the one factor the People need to do is present up in Costa Rica for his or her last qualifying match Wednesday and so they’re by way of to Qatar this fall.

Oh certain, the bookkeepers will say there may be nonetheless a mathematical likelihood the U.S. gained’t make it. However actuality and commonsense say in any other case.

With Sunday’s win, which matched the People’ most one-sided victory in a World Cup qualifier in 5 years, the U.S. (7-2-4) remained second within the eight-team CONCACAF qualifying desk, even with Mexico at 25 factors and three factors head of Costa Rica. Solely the highest three groups transfer on.

Sunday’s win swelled its benefit in purpose differential. Even when Costa Rica wins Wednesday, it must make up a 10-score deficit in purpose differential to go the People and take their World Cup spot.

So whereas the job isn’t completed but, it form of is.

The U.S. took the sector understanding Canada had punched its personal ticket for Qatar with a win in Toronto, and Costa Rica had gained as nicely, denying the People their likelihood to qualify at residence as nicely.

However the U.S. might nonetheless rating a bunch of objectives, making it tougher for Costa Rica to catch them. They did simply that, scoring 3 times throughout a 10-minute span halfway by way of the primary half to place Panama — and, most certainly, Costa Rica — away.

The one purpose the People would wish to win the sport got here on a Pulisic penalty kick within the seventeenth minute, a few minutes after Panamanian captain Anibal Godoy fouled American defender Walker Zimmerman within the field on a nook kick. Salvadoran referee Iván Barton didn’t name the penalty initially, however after consulting a VAR evaluation throughout the subsequent stoppage in play, he reversed himself.

Pulisic then stepped to the spot and despatched his right-footed shot into the roof of the online for a 1-0 lead.

However the rating didn’t keep there lengthy. Six minutes later a Paul Arriola header off an extended Antonee Robinson cross from the left wing doubled the benefit and 4 minutes after that Jesús Ferreira made it 3-0, right-footing a shot previous Panamanian keeper Luis Mejía on the finish of a 20-pass sequence.

One other Pulisic penalty following one other Godoy foul, this one on Miles Robinson, made it 4-0 in first-half stoppage time. Seconds later, Panama’s Michael Murillo shoved Pulisic throughout a stoppage in play, and a pissed off official on the Panamanian bench threw the ball on the U.S. captain, touching off a quick scuffle close to the sideline.

Pulisic shoved again 20 minutes into the second half, taking a go from Antonee Robinson the field, spinning away from defenders Andrés Andrade and Fidel Escobar and right-footing the ball contained in the far publish to finish the primary hat trick of his worldwide profession.

The busy Godoy lastly obtained Panama on the board with a header within the 86th minute however even that was of little comfort to both Panama or Costa Rica. Panama was eradicated from qualifying for the World Cup with the loss.

But when Costa Rica has little hope of passing the U.S. on Wednesday, it may well nonetheless take Mexico’s World Cup spot if El Tri loses at Azteca Estadio to El Salvador and Costa Rica beats the visiting U.S. whereas making up a four-goal differential to Mexico.