Dempsey hat-trick, Pulisic shines as USA win
SAN FRANCISCO: Clint Dempsey made a fairytale return to international duty with a hattrick as the United States reignited their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 6-0 thrashing of Honduras on Friday.
Dempsey, playing his first international since recovering from a heart problem that forced a six-month layoff, scored goals in each half as the Americans romped to a crucial victory at San Jose’s Avaya Stadium.
“It was all about the team,” Dempsey said afterwards. “We came out and played well. We started on the front foot and took the game to our opponents and when we got chances we put them in the back of the net.”
The US had suffered backto-back defeats in their opening two games of CONCACAF’s final qualifying round in November, losses that led to the sacking of Jurgen Klinsmann and the reappointment of veteran coach Bruce Arena. Arena had warned his players that nothing less than three points would do against the Hondurans and the Americans did not disappoint, a dominant display Central Americans.
Though Dempsey grabbed the headlines with his hat-trick, Borussia Dortmund teenager Christian Pulisic was the heartbeat of a scintillating US performance, producing against the scoring one goal and creating three others during the rout.
“What he can do is beat a man one-on-one and that creates a difference for us and gives us options,” Dempsey said of the 18-year-old Pulisic.
“I thought he was great for us.”
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Sebastian Lletget and captain Michael Bradley scored the other American goals on a night when almost everything went right for the hosts.
The US victory with effectively sealed a devastating first half-hour which saw the home side race into a 3-0 lead.
Lletget opened the scoring after only five minutes, tucking away the rebound after Honduras goalkeeper Donis Escober was unable to grasp Pulisic’s low shot.
Lletget’s maiden World Cup goal was soured by his exit barely 10 minutes later when he limped off injured following a rugged tackle from Ever Alvarado that earned the Honduras defender a caution. In the 27th minute the USA doubled their lead when Bradley skipped clear of the Honduras defence before aiming an angled shot into the bottom corner for his 16th international goal on his 129th appearance.
Five minutes later and it was 3-0, with Pulisic once again the provider after lofting an exquisite pass into the path of Dempsey who held off his marker to shoot high into the roof of the net.
US CLIMB It got better for the hosts barely 15 seconds into the second half, when Pulisic added the fourth after being played into space by Jozy Altidore. BARCELONA: La Liga champions Barcelona will pay tribute to visionary midfielder and coach Johan Cruyff by naming one of their new stadiums after the late Dutchman and his statue will also be erected at the Nou Camp.
The club are planning to relocate their Mini Estadi, the home of their B team and occasional venue for their women’s team, to their training ground and president Josep Maria Bartomeu said the new ground will be named the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
“Cruyff broke down barriers, he was the man who made us lift our heads up and see that nothing is impossible,” Bartomeu said at a presentation on Saturday, a day after Cruyff’s first death anniversary.
“His death was a huge loss, not just for everyone connected with Barcelona but also for anyone who loves football.”
Cruyff, who died of lung cancer aged 68, signed for Barca from Ajax in 1973 and helped them to a first league title in 14 years in his first campaign. He stayed until 1978.
He is seen by many as the godfather of the modern Barcelona, coaching the club to their first European Cup in 1992 and instilling a style of football imitated by future managers.
Bartomeu also revealed plans for a special space dedicated to Cruyff at the club’s museum. Cruyff’s son Jordi, a former Barca player, said the family would donate his father’s old jersey and the Ballon d’Or trophy he won in 1974 to the museum.
Vice-president Jordi Cardoner said the club had asked the Barcelona city hall to rename one of the streets adjacent to the stadium after the Dutchman. — Reuters