Team USA men are back on track for World Cup after 4-0 rout of Panama in Orlando, Fla.
FLA.» Teenage star Christian ORLANDO,
Pulisic scored with a brilliant touch to complete a field-length attack just eight minutes in, then split the defense with a pass that set up Jozy Altidore for the first of the forward’s two goals and put the United States back on track for next year’s World Cup with a 4-0 rout of Panama on Friday.
Pulisic fed Altidore for a 2-0 lead in the 19th. Altidore converted a penalty kick with a chip in the 43rd after Bobby Wood was fouled, and Wood added a goal in the 63rd.
The U.S. ended a three-match winless streak in qualifying and with 12 points and moved two points ahead of Panama into third place — the last automatic berth — in the North and Central American and Caribbean region. Honduras has nine points going into its match Saturday at Costa Rica, which is second with 15.
Goal difference means the Americans put themselves in great shape to reach an eighth straight World Cup, almost certainly with a win Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago and probably with a draw if Honduras fails to win Saturday. The U.S. is plus-five to minus-two for Panama and minus-seven for Honduras.
The region’s fourth-place team advances to a playoff next month against Australia or Syria.
“We could have finished better on the day and scored more goals,” U.S. coach Bruce Arena said.
Playing his first international match since he turned 19 last month, Pulisic was moved to central midfield from the flanks by coach Bruce Arena and sparked the attack from the opening whistle with pace and ball control seldom seen from Americans.
After Gabriel Gomez broke free from Omar Gonzalez and shot over the crossbar, Tim Howard’s goal kick was headed forward by Bobby Wood about 10 yards past midfield.
Altidore one-timed the ball ahead to a sprinting Pulisic, and the midfielder reached back with his left leg to flick the ball ahead. Pulisic jumped to avoid Roman Torres’ challenge and used the outside of his right foot to play the ball forward. As goalkeeper Jaime Penedo came off his line, Pulisic used the outside of his right foot again to play the ball wide and jumped over Pinedo’s outstretched arm.