Ice and Resolve

On This Day in 2022, Robinson's Acrobatic Finish Keeps US World Cup Dream Alive in Columbus Deep Freeze

The United States men's national team faced a critical juncture in 2022 World Cup qualifying as they prepared to host El Salvador on January 27. After eight matches in the grueling CONCACAF campaign, the Americans sat in second place with 15 points, just one behind surprising group leaders Canada and one ahead of archrival Mexico. With six matches remaining, the margin for error had evaporated—anything less than victory against the Salvadorans would put Qatar 2022 in serious jeopardy.

The Americans had managed just four wins through their first eight qualifiers, and their offense had sputtered at crucial moments. They'd been held to a scoreless draw by El Salvador in the tournament's opening match back in September, and that memory lingered. El Salvador arrived in Columbus mathematically alive but desperate—sitting in seventh place with only six points, they needed a miracle run to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1982.

The venue selection told its own story. Rather than choosing a neutral-weather site or a stadium closer to El Salvador's diaspora communities, U.S. Soccer opted for Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio—a city with a proven track record as a fortress for the national team and a place where winter could be weaponized. The forecast called for 30 degrees at kickoff, with snow flurries, making it the second-coldest qualifier the U.S. had hosted this century. Coach Gregg Berhalter made no apologies for the strategy, drawing parallels to the sweltering humidity and altitude his team routinely faced on Central American road trips.

For the first time since March 2019, Berhalter could field his preferred trio of Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie together. The wait had been forced by injuries, pandemic disruptions, and in McKennie's case, a brief banishment for violating team protocols. But the reunion didn't immediately produce magic. The first half unfolded as a frustrating affair, with the Americans controlling possession but struggling to find the cutting edge. Jesús Ferreira, earning a surprise start over Ricardo Pepi, squandered two excellent chances in the opening 20 minutes.

El Salvador, unbothered by conditions meant to neutralize them, grew more confident as the scoreless match wore on. In the 28th minute, they nearly shocked the sellout crowd of 20,000 when Alex Roldan found himself unmarked on the right side, his 18-yard shot narrowly missing the far post. The halftime whistle brought a mixture of relief and anxiety—the Americans had dominated territorially but had nothing to show for it.

The breakthrough arrived seven minutes into the second half, a chaotic sequence that mixed skill with fortune. McKennie launched a long diagonal ball down the right flank to Tim Weah, whose pace carried him past two defenders into the penalty area. Goalkeeper Mario González made a spectacular sliding save on Weah's close-range shot, but the rebound bounced high into the air. Ferreira got his head to it, nodding the ball back across the goalmouth, where Weah tried an overhead kick, and Pulisic let it pass through. There, trailing the play, was left back Antonee Robinson, who buried a left-footed volley from eight yards out.

What happened next became the match's most memorable moment. Robinson celebrated with a cartwheel, followed immediately by a backflip on the frigid turf, then briefly mimicked a hamstring injury before strutting off in celebration—a joke borrowed from a Kenyan player he'd once faced in African youth tournaments. "My friend's been on me for weeks to do that celebration, so I had to pull it out," Robinson explained afterward. "I didn't tell anyone, so there were a few people scared. But it's all part of the fun of enjoying the game for me."

For Robinson, the goal carried particular significance. The 24-year-old left back, born in England to American parents, had experienced a career marked by both promise and setbacks. His journey through Everton's academy to Bolton, Wigan, and finally Fulham had been anything but smooth. With the national team, he'd endured his share of disappointments before finding his rhythm during this qualifying cycle. His first international goal had come in September—a second-half equalizer against Honduras that sparked a 4-1 comeback victory.

"I feel weird being called Antonee," Robinson confessed to reporters. "I prefer being called Jedi." The nickname, earned at age five from his love of Star Wars, seemed fitting for someone who'd navigated so many obstacles. "I've been dealing with highs and lows with the national team," he said. "I've been dealing with highs and lows in football ever since I first got on scholarship with Everton when I was 15, 16 years old. I feel like I'm someone who bounces back from low points."

The Americans controlled the remainder of the match, though they never added insurance. Pulisic departed in the 65th minute—presumably rested for the crucial showdown with Canada three days later—and the intensity dropped as Berhalter managed his squad through a congested schedule. Matt Turner, starting in goal due to Zack Steffen's back injury, didn't face a single shot on target all night. El Salvador, shut out in five of their nine qualifiers, couldn't muster the energy for a late push in the cold.

The final whistle sent the 1-0 victory into the record books and the Americans scrambling for warmth. The win improved the U.S. to 5-3-1 (WDL) with 18 points, maintaining their second-place standing one point behind Canada and one ahead of Mexico. More importantly, it kept their World Cup destiny firmly in their own hands.

"We're one step closer to our goal of qualifying for the World Cup," Robinson said. Berhalter acknowledged the performance hadn't been spectacular—the rust from a two-month break between qualifying windows was evident—but three points at home were non-negotiable. "We're still in very good position," the coach noted. "Three points were vital at home."

The Americans had now won nine of ten qualifiers in Columbus and extended their perfect home record against El Salvador to 15 straight victories. But there would be no time to savor the moment. On Sunday, they would travel to Hamilton, Ontario, to face group-leading Canada—unbeaten through nine matches and riding the momentum of a 2-0 victory over Honduras earlier that same Thursday evening. The forecast for Hamilton called for temperatures in the low 20s, another frozen battleground where the Americans would need to prove their mettle.

The path to Qatar remained clear but treacherous. Four or six points from the Canada and Honduras matches would leave the U.S. in a prime position entering the final three-game window in March. Anything less, and the mathematical cushion would evaporate. Robinson's acrobatic celebration might have been the night's most joyful moment, but the real gymnastics—navigating the final weeks of qualifying—were just beginning.

McBride's Masterclass

On This Day in 2002, the Forward Scored the Sixth Hat-Trick in USMNT History in a Win Over El Salvador at the Gold Cup

2002 was always going to be about one thing for the United States men's national team: preparation for the World Cup. Every match, every training session, every tactical wrinkle would be measured against the standard of readiness for that summer's tournament in Japan and South Korea. The CONCACAF Gold Cup, squeezed into the winter calendar, offered Bruce Arena exactly what he needed—a competitive proving ground to evaluate his domestic-based players while his European stars remained with their clubs.

Arena brought 28 players to camp in Claremont, California, a roster conspicuously missing most of the Americans playing abroad. Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, John O'Brien, Earnie Stewart, Claudio Reyna, Joe-Max Moore, and Jovan Kirovski all stayed in Europe, leaving Arena to assess his Major League Soccer contingent. The tournament would serve a dual purpose: give playing time to players proving themselves, and monitor the recovery of two critical pieces—Georgia natives Clint Mathis and Josh Wolff, both working their way back from significant injuries.

The Gold Cup began awkwardly rather than with authority. Against South Korea, young defenders Dan Califf and Carlos Bocanegra were exposed repeatedly. The Americans managed an early goal through Landon Donovan, only to concede an equalizer three minutes later. The match dragged into injury time at 1-1 before DaMarcus Beasley rescued the effort with a stoppage-time winner. "This was not a pretty game," Arena admitted. "We were a little uncoordinated."

Three days later, against Cuba, the Americans secured a quarterfinal berth but continued to frustrate. Brian McBride's 22nd-minute penalty kick provided the only goal in a 1-0 victory before a sparse crowd of 18,500 at the Rose Bowl. The Americans dominated possession, but finishing remained elusive. "We wanted to get that second goal right away, but we couldn't," McBride said afterward.

El Salvador arrived for Sunday's quarterfinal carrying a dismal 1-4-7 (WDL) all-time record against the Americans with zero wins on United States soil. After a conservative approach against Mexico, El Salvador had done enough attacking against Guatemala to advance. Arena expected them to revert to caution in the knockout round. The rain came in sheets over Pasadena on January 27, a constant drizzle that made the Rose Bowl pitch slick. The 31,628 spectators who braved the weather were rewarded with the complete performance the United States had desperately needed.

It took just nine minutes for McBride to break through. Frankie Hejduk sent a cross from the right that deflected off defender Guillermo Garcia. McBride flung himself toward the goal and redirected a header into the upper right corner past goalkeeper Santos Rivera. Two minutes later, Chris Armas launched a long ball from midfield. Cobi Jones chased it down and dribbled around Rivera, stumbling as he rounded the goalkeeper. The ball rolled perfectly into McBride's path on the right side for a simple first-time finish into the empty net.

El Salvador was reeling. In the 21st minute, the United States delivered the knockout blow. Ante Razov's penetrating run opened space for Eddie Lewis on the left touchline. Lewis sent a cross toward the goal line, where Donovan collected it, whirled, and tapped the ball to McBride standing a yard from the goal. The left-footed strike made it 3-0.

12 minutes. Three goals. It was the fastest hat-trick in United States history, and it had essentially ended the match before halftime. McBride had not scored multiple goals since November 1997—this was the first American hat-trick since Joe-Max Moore's four goals against El Salvador in December 1993.

The second half became a formality. In the 62nd minute, Clint Mathis entered for his first appearance since injuring his knee seven months earlier. In the 72nd minute, Beasley beat his defender on the left flank and crossed for Razov to finish, capping a 4-0 victory.

For McBride, the hat trick represented vindication after a harrowing 18 months. The blood disorder that had caused clotting in his arm had sidelined him for nearly all of 2000 and 2001. He'd undergone surgery to remove a rib, then endured a debilitating regimen of blood thinners that caused him to lose weight and muscle. "It felt really good today," McBride said. "The guys were seeing me today, and Ante was freeing up a lot of space for me, so I had room to move."

Arena praised his striker's finishing ability. "Obviously, he finished his chances quite well; the goal with the header was quite a good shot. The second and third were relatively easy." The only disappointment was that McBride would miss the upcoming friendly against Italy due to his mid-February wedding.

The statistics underscored McBride's importance. The United States now stood at 13-1-1 in matches in which he scored. He had proven himself capable of delivering in crucial moments despite battling injuries throughout his career—broken cheekbones, a fractured ankle, and now the blood disorder. Fully recovered and regaining form, McBride had reminded everyone why he remained essential to World Cup plans.

The victory set up a semifinal clash with defending Gold Cup champion Canada on Wednesday at the Rose Bowl. South Korea had advanced past Mexico on penalty kicks in the day's other quarterfinal and would face Costa Rica. For Arena, the tournament remained about evaluation. Mathis had logged 27 minutes in his return, looking solid if not yet match-fit. "It's going to take him probably another two months before he's ready," Arena assessed, "but it's good to see him back on the field."

The concerns weren't entirely gone. Razov had suffered a groin injury, and Bocanegra had hurt his ankle. "We're probably going to have to replace a couple of players," Arena acknowledged. El Salvador coach Jorge Humberto Recinos offered no excuses after his team was outshot 19-5. "The U.S. team was totally superior to us," he said simply. "They scored the first two goals early. Nobody was prepared for that."

Beyond the Gold Cup, the road stretched toward friendlies against Italy, Honduras, Germany, and Ireland—all of which were building toward that June 5 opener against Portugal in Suwon. On a rainy Sunday in southern California, McBride had delivered the kind of performance that reminded everyone why the World Cup journey demanded this level of preparation. For 12 magnificent minutes, he had shown the clinical form that made him indispensable to Arena's plans.