Dempsey hits hat-trick as US get campaign back on track with Honduras hammering
>> SAN FRANCISCO: Clint Dempsey made a fairytale return to international duty with a hat-trick as the United States reignited their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 6-0 thrashing of Honduras on Friday.
In Friday’s other matches, Mexico moved to the top of the qualification standings with a 2-0 defeat of Costa Rica, and Trinidad and Tobago beat Panama 1-0.
Javier Hernandez and Nestor Araujo scored the goals for Mexico, who lead with seven points from three games.
The top three finishers in the sixteam “Hexagonal” qualifying competition qualify automatically for next year’s finals in Russia.
The fourth placed team faces a play-off against a side from Asia.
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 back-to-back defeats in their opening two games of Concacaf’s final qualifying round in November, losses that led to the sacking of Juergen 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, producing a dominant display against the Central Americans.
Though Dempsey grabbed the headlines with his hat-trick, Borussia Dortmund teenager Christian Pulisic was the heartbeat of a scintillating US performance, scoring one goal and creating three others during the rout.
“What he can do is beat a man oneon-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 win helped the US climb off the bottom of the group into fourth place in the six-team standings with three points.
The US face a trip to Panama, beaten 1-0 by Trinidad and Tobago earlier Friday, in their next game.
“It’s a good start towards working our way back into a good spot,” US captain Bradley said. “We’ll take it for what it is — three points.”
In Mexico City, Hernandez scored his 46th goal with the Mexican team and tied Jared Borgetti as the all-time leading scorer.
“We are very happy because he missed on the same play during the week and were joking that hopefully he was going to score it in the game and he did,” said Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio. “We believe that he’s a great finisher and a great team player.”