Pivotal game for U.S. team tonight

The U.S. men’s national team’s hopes of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup will not be dashed if it loses its next game in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying.

That doesn’t mean the squad is approaching the game as if it has breathing room to spare.

After an atrocious performance against Costa Rica in November that sent the Americans to the bottom of the standings, they know it may be more important than ever to get all three points against Honduras on Friday night in San Jose, Calif.

“There is real urgency for us to come out and at home, play a really good game from the beginning,” midfielder Michael Bradley said. “(We have to) start with energy, be aggressive and put the game on our terms from the first minute.

“We’re excited. We’ve been waiting around for this game for a few months.”

Those months must have felt like an eternity for the team that last fall lost to archrival Mexico on home soil and then looked unenthused and slow in a 4-0 loss in Costa Rica.

Those results dampened the spirits within U.S. Soccer, but after the firing of coach Jurgen Klinsmann and the rehiring of Bruce Arena, some life has been breathed into the program.

Eight games remain between Friday and early October’s final match so there is plenty of time to right the ship. It all starts against Honduras, which has qualified for the last two World Cups.

The United States, Mexico and Costa Rica are viewed as the favorites to earn the three automatic qualifying berths, but Honduras is the team that not many would be surprised to see steal one of those spots if one of them slips.

With three points from their first two qualifiers, Honduras is in a good spot heading into Friday’s game. If it gets at least a draw in San Jose, it will be viewed as a positive for the Hondurans and as a setback for the U.S. team.

The Americans, who also face Panama on Tuesday, have qualified for seven consecutive World Cups. If they are going to extend that streak, it begins with one of their most pivotal games on Friday.

Bradley said the players understand the position they’re in and plan to do something about it.

“There is no need for anybody on the outside to put any more pressure on us than we’ve already put on ourselves because we didn’t start in the right way,” Bradley said. “We put ourselves behind the eight ball. We’re honest and real enough with ourselves to understand that. Friday night is the beginning of our chance to put things right and get ourselves back in a good position.”

corey.roepken@chron.com twitter.com/ripsports