Frozen Qualifying Victory

On This Day in 2022, the Americans Dominant in the Coldest Match in US National Team History

The United States men's national team entered its World Cup qualifier against Honduras, desperately seeking an offensive spark. Just three days earlier, a 2-0 defeat at Canada had raised questions about the team's attacking prowess—they had managed just two goals in their previous three matches. With four games remaining in the qualifying campaign, the Americans sat in second place, but their margin for error had tightened considerably.

The headlines leading into the February 2 clash at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, weren't about tactics or lineups – they were about the thermometer. At kickoff, the temperature read 6 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of minus-9, making it the coldest U.S. home match in program history. By the final whistle, the reading would drop to 3 degrees. While U.S. Soccer's strategy of choosing cold-weather venues to gain an advantage over warm-weather opponents wasn't new – Canada had hosted Mexico in 14-degree weather in Edmonton in November – the decision to push those boundaries against already-eliminated Honduras raised eyebrows.

The frigid conditions forced both teams to adapt. Players wore thermal head coverings, gloves and neck gaiters. U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner attempted to use a quarterback's hand warmer but was told to remove it by the referee just two minutes into the match. The benches were heated from above and below, and hot apple cider and blankets were abundant on the sidelines. For Honduras, the cold proved particularly brutal – goalkeeper Luis López couldn't continue after halftime, requiring IV fluids due to the extreme conditions.

On the field, the Americans finally found their scoring touch and did it through an unexpected source – set pieces. In the 8th minute, Kellyn Acosta – starting with the injured Tyler Adams – delivered a precise free kick that Weston McKennie headed home for the opener. It marked the U.S. team's first set-piece goal of the qualifying campaign and only their third first-half goal in 11 qualifiers.

The Americans doubled their lead in the 37th minute, again from an Acosta free kick. This time, Walker Zimmerman capitalized, turning inside the six-yard box to slot home his first international goal in three years. The biggest surprise of the night came from coach Gregg Berhalter's decision to start the match without Christian Pulisic, but the Chelsea star made his impact felt after entering as a substitute in the 64th minute. Three minutes later, Pulisic knocked in the team's third goal, converting from another set piece – this time an Acosta corner kick that pinballed off Ricardo Pepi and Zimmerman before finding the winger.

"Three points was pretty much a necessity, just with where we are and where we want to go," Zimmerman said afterward. "We really took that upon us." The center back praised the team's most "dynamic performance" of the window, particularly noting how they finally broke through on set pieces.

For Berhalter, the victory kept the U.S. in control of its World Cup destiny. "Our goal in this window was to stay in second or to move to first place and it looks like we'll do that," he said. When pressed about the controversial decision to play in such extreme conditions, Berhalter drew parallels to what his team faces on the road: "When we go down to those countries and it's 90 degrees and 90 percent dew point and it's unbearable humidity and guys are getting dehydrated and cramping up and getting heat exhaustion, that's the nature of our competition."

The 3-0 victory and Mexico's 1-0 win over Panama kept the United States tied for second place in the qualifying standings. With three matches remaining in March – away to Mexico, home against Panama, and away to Costa Rica – the Americans likely need one more victory to secure their place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.