Pulisic's International Debut in Qualifying Win

On This Day in 2016, the Current Captain America Made His US Debut as the Americans Rolled Past Guatemala

Peace of mind arrived early on that March 29th night at Mapfre Stadium, with the sight of Clint Dempsey galloping at a full sprint across the striped grass, his arms spread out like airplane wings. The goal that sparked this celebration had done more than just give the United States an early lead - it had begun to wash away four days of doubt that had settled over the U.S. Men's National Team following their shocking defeat in Guatemala.

For the Americans, Columbus had always been a sanctuary. The U.S. team entered the match with a perfect 7-0-3 record at Mapfre Stadium, conceding just one goal across those ten matches. They would need every bit of that home-field magic as they faced an actual must-win scenario to keep their World Cup qualifying campaign on track. Friday's unexpected 2-0 loss snapped their 21-game unbeaten streak against Guatemala, dating back to 1988.

The defeat dropped the Americans to third place in their four-team qualifying group, and it is very real that they might not advance to the final round of CONCACAF qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Another loss would have left them needing help from other results to avoid elimination.

"We need to win this game," Coach Jurgen Klinsmann told reporters bluntly the day before the match. The pressure was palpable, and criticism mounted about his tactical decisions and lineup choices from the previous match, in which he deployed several players in unfamiliar positions.

With this pressure, Klinsmann made five changes to his starting lineup: He moved Geoff Cameron back to central defense alongside Steve Birnbaum, inserted Kyle Beckerman as a defensive midfielder, and gave Brad Guzan the start in goal. The adjustments paid immediate dividends.

Less than 12 minutes into the match, Cameron floated a ball high toward the penalty box where Gyasi Zardes was running between two defenders. The ball took a fortunate deflection off Zardes' shoulder and fell perfectly for Dempsey, who calmly slotted it home to give the U.S. the lead and send the sold-out crowd into a frenzy.

"You've got to look within yourself, man," Dempsey said afterward about the pressure. "How bad do you want it? How bad do you want to be going to the World Cup? How bad do you want to continue progressing the game in the States? You've got to put that on your shoulders, man. You got to represent your country with pride."

The Americans continued to dominate possession throughout the first half. In the 35th minute, Cameron doubled the advantage when he rose to meet Michael Bradley's perfectly delivered free kick and headed it just beneath the crossbar.

Any lingering anxiety was washed away immediately after halftime. Just 18 seconds into the second half, Graham Zusi pounced on another fortunate bounce off Zardes following a DeAndre Yedlin through ball, making it 3-0 and effectively ending Guatemala's resistance.

With the match well in hand, Klinsmann made a substitution in the 81st minute that would prove significant for American soccer's future. Christian Pulisic, a 17-year-old midfielder making waves with German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund, entered to make his senior international debut. The teenager became the youngest player to appear for the United States in a World Cup qualifier.

Pulisic's rise had been remarkable. Just four months earlier, he played for Dortmund's youth team in front of 800 people. By the time he stepped onto the Columbus pitch, he had already featured in ten matches for Dortmund's first team, including appearances in the Europa League and the fiercely contested Ruhr derby against Schalke.

Jozy Altidore, another second-half substitute, completed the scoring in the 89th minute, capitalizing on Dempsey's unselfish setup after a Guatemalan defender gave the ball away cheaply. 

With the 4-0 victory, the United States moved into second place in Group C of CONCACAF's semifinal qualifying round, trailing Trinidad and Tobago by three points but now one point ahead of Guatemala. The top two teams would advance to the final round of qualifying, leaving the Americans in control of their own destiny with two matches remaining in September.

"It was crucial," Dempsey said of the win. "If we didn't win tonight, we were going to be in a really tough spot. Now we're sitting better, but we've still got work to do."

The commanding performance silenced, at least temporarily, the critics calling for Klinsmann's dismissal. One night, the coach, his players, and American soccer fans could breathe easier, knowing that their World Cup dreams were still alive... for now.