On This Day in 2022, Behind a Pulisic Hat-Trick, the US "Mathematically Certain" of World Cup
The United States entered their penultimate World Cup qualifying match against Panama riding a wave of cautious optimism. Having just secured a hard-fought goalless draw with Mexico at the imposing Estadio Azteca, the Americans were now positioned to virtually secure their return to soccer's grandest stage after the heartbreak of missing the 2018 tournament. With memories of that fateful night in Trinidad still haunting the program, this new generation of players had the opportunity to write their own redemption story in Orlando.
For the Americans, the path forward was clear but challenging. A loss to Mexico would have been devastating, but the scoreless draw at altitude kept their qualification hopes firmly on track. Coach Gregg Berhalter's young squad had created several golden opportunities at the Azteca. Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah narrowly missed in the first half, followed by another Pulisic chance and a Jordan Pefok opportunity after the break. Gio Reyna's mesmerizing run was the most memorable, which prompted Berhalter to invoke Diego Maradona's legendary goal.
"I had visions of that while Gio was dribbling," Berhalter said afterward. "Unfortunately, he didn't finish it off or get an opportunity to finish it off."
When told of the comparison, the modest 19-year-old Reyna, who had only recently returned from injury, exchanged a playful glance with Pulisic and replied, "I don't know about that. Yeah, it was a nice run, and it didn't really pan out to anything."
Conditions in Orlando on March 27 were electric, with the sold-out crowd creating an overwhelmingly pro-American atmosphere. The tension that the Americans carried into the match—from injuries, illnesses, suspensions, and the lingering trauma of 2017's qualification failure—quickly dissipated in a flurry of early goals.
Pulisic, who had been in tears on that muggy Trinidad field in 2017, set the tone early by converting a penalty kick in the 17th minute. Six minutes later, Paul Arriola doubled the lead with a header, and just four minutes after that, surprise starter Jesús Ferreira made it 3-0 with a clinical finish. Pulisic added another from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time, giving the Americans a commanding 4-0 lead at the break.
"We knew we had to come out on the front foot, and getting that goal early set the tone for the whole match," defender Walker Zimmerman explained after the game. "Those goals add up, and they're huge for us."
The American captain completed his first national team hat-trick in the 65th minute with a moment of individual brilliance. Pulling down a cross with silky control in Panama's penalty area, he spun in traffic and slipped past two defenders to slot home his third goal.
"Christian's a guy who's been through it before," Berhalter said, a loaded statement for anyone who had lived through the 2017 qualification failure. Pulisic had worn the captain's armband and delivered a performance worthy of it, playing like the leader Berhalter needed him to be with one match remaining.
His only missteps of the night were an awkward attempt at breakdancing after his second penalty kick and a yellow card for arguing moments before being substituted. Other key players were soon rested as well, with the Americans mindful of the job that still needed to be completed in Costa Rica.
Despite Panama's Aníbal Godoy—who had conceded both penalties—scoring a late consolation goal to make it 5-1, the Americans had firmly put themselves in control of their destiny. Their goal differential had swelled to plus-13, compared to Costa Rica's plus-3, meaning they would need to lose by six goals or more in their final match to miss out on automatic qualification.
"The goal obviously has always been to qualify for the World Cup, and this is just another step in the right direction," midfielder Tyler Adams cautioned afterward. "But at the end of the day, we still have another game to play. We haven't clinched yet."
The final step of the journey took the Americans to Costa Rica, a venue where they had never won. Unlike five years earlier, when they had traveled to Trinidad with similar confidence only to suffer a catastrophic 2-1 defeat, the massive goal difference advantage provided a crucial safety net this time.
In San José, in front of a lively sellout crowd, the United States absorbed a 2-0 defeat—Juan Pablo Vargas scoring in the 51st minute and Anthony Contreras doubling the lead in the 59th. However, unlike in 2017, when improbable results conspired against them, the margin was more than sufficient this time. The Americans had qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
"The team's ecstatic, really excited to be qualified for the World Cup," Berhalter said after the final whistle. "Qualifying is a grind, and we did it."
The redemption was delightful for Pulisic, one of the few holdovers from the 2017 squad.
"That was one of the toughest days of my life, and I'll never forget it," he said, reflecting on the Trinidad defeat. "Now to be in this position qualified for a World Cup, we're all extremely proud." He paused, emotions visible. "This is where I've always wanted to be, and right now, the emotions are a little crazy."
The celebrations began cautiously in the locker room. Although the team was initially frustrated by the Costa Rica loss, pure joy eventually filtered through, and champagne and beer began to spray.
No comments:
Post a Comment