US returns to World Cup despite 2-0 loss at Costa Rica

Christian Pulisic walked throughout the sphere with a towel draped round his head, offended after one other U.S. defeat.

“We’re opponents, man. We hate to lose. Within the second I used to be annoyed,” he mentioned. “It took me a bit of bit for it to sink in, that the qualification hit.”

Almost 4 1/2 years after Pulisic buried his head in his fingers to cover tears of failure, the U.S. rebounded to qualify for this 12 months’s World Cup. A 2-0 loss to Costa Rica on Wednesday left the Individuals in third place after the ultimate night time of qualifying, the ultimate assured berth from North and Central America and the Caribbean.

For Pulisic, DeAndre Yedlin, Kellyn Acosta and Paul Arriola, smiles of reduction broke out after an unrelenting burden was lifted.

“That is no matter I’ve at all times needed to be, and proper now feelings are a bit loopy,” Pulisic mentioned, his voice quavering.

On the 1,267th day after a 2-1 loss at Trinidad and Tobago ended the Individuals’ streak of seven straight World Cup appearances, Yedlin addressed the crew earlier than the kickoff.

“I simply thanked each considered one of them for giving me a second alternative to redeem myself, and the nation a second alternative to redeem itself,” mentioned the 28-year-old defender, the one American left from the 2014 event.

The U.S. remained winless in 12 qualifiers at Costa Rica, with 10 defeats and two attracts.

Juan Pablo Vargas bought behind Walker Zimmerman and headed Brandon Aguilera’s nook kick previous goalkeeper Zack Steffen within the 51st minute, and Anthony Contreras knocked in Jewison Bennette’s cross off a scramble within the 59th after Steffen palmed Aguilar’s free kick towards Contreras and blocked Contreras’ preliminary shot.

Coach Gregg Berhalter, who performed for the U.S. on the 2002 World Cup, congratulated the gamers within the locker room. Beginning lineups within the 14 qualifiers averaged an American-record low of 23 years, 302 days.

“Being the youngest crew on the planet to qualify for the World Cup is not any straightforward process,” he mentioned. “It’s a proud second for the crew, proud second for U.S. Soccer, and we’re wanting ahead to competing within the World Cup once more.”

A sellout crowd of about 35,000 in Nationwide Stadium got here to life with the objectives, however the Individuals’ 5-1 rout of Panama at residence final weekend gave them an enormous goal-difference margin over Costa Rica. That meant the U.S. merely needed to keep away from dropping by six objectives or extra so as to declare an computerized berth.

Canada, which had clinched its first World Cup journey since 1986 with a win Sunday, completed first within the group with 28 factors after a 1-0 loss at Panama, forward of Mexico on aim distinction. El Tri clinched its eighth straight World Cup berth with a 2-0 residence win over El Salvador, whereas the U.S. (25 factors) completed third with a plus-11 aim distinction to plus-five for Costa Rica (additionally 25 factors).

Ticos coach Luis Fernando Suárez did not embody six starters from Sunday’s win at El Salvador who carried yellow playing cards, not desirous to danger a suspension for a June playoff in opposition to Oceania champion New Zealand.

As Berhalter spoke to his crew, 24-year-old defender Erik-Palmer Brown popped open the primary bottle of Duet Mosseux Brut, beginning a short bubbly and beer celebration earlier than some gamers caught a constitution flight to London. Berhalter headed with employees for a red-eye flight to New York and a connection for Qatar forward of Friday’s draw.

U.S. bench gamers walked onto the sphere on the closing whistle and exchanged handshakes and hugs with their teammates, whereas residence followers cheered the Ticos. Then American gamers placed on ski goggles and let unfastened.

“The celebration goes. I feel now we have run out of beer,” mentioned Zimmerman, a 28-year-old defender who did not play within the first three qualifiers, then began 9 of the final 11. “Coming into the locker room, everybody simply determined, you already know what, we realized our aim, which was to qualify, and we did that, so everybody type of forgot about tonight. We put ourselves in that place, the place we may afford to do this.”

The U.S. finds out at Friday’s draw which three nations it can face within the group stage, which begins Nov. 21 at a event pushed again 5 months to keep away from summer season desert warmth. A rising and more and more hypercritical fan base is hoping to see Pulisic & Co. attain the quarterfinals for the primary time since 2002.

“Now now we have to check ourselves in opposition to the perfect gamers on the planet, the perfect groups on the planet,” mentioned midfielder Tyler Adams, who got here off at halftime with a bruise above his left knee from a deal with. “This was solely the primary stage in our growth.”

Pulisic, the primary American to play in and win a Champions League closing, had been consumed with attempting to raise the U.S. again to a World Cup. The 23-year-od led the crew with 5 of its 21 objectives regardless of making simply seven begins because of COVID-19, a sprained ankle and shaky kind when he first got here again from the damage.

“Wanting on the huge image, we’re clearly so proud to characterize our nation at a World Cup, so we’re thrilled for that. In a few days, I do not suppose we’ll be fascinated about this sport,” he mentioned. “I feel we are able to do plenty of harm, man. I feel we’re a assured bunch of fellows, and, yeah, I feel the nation will get behind us.”