After two straight underwhelming performances in World Cup qualifying matches, the USMNT finally got the job done, getting a much-needed W and three points against Honduras in a 4-1 win last night.
It was a tale of two halves, with the first one playing out more like a horror movie than anything else. The USMNT seemed overwhelmed, and cracked in the 27th minutes as Honduras forward Brayan Moya scored a goal and gave his team a 1-0 lead. USMNT Twitter quickly panicked.
But at the half, USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter made some adjustments, and the team quickly got back on track. Teenage phenom Ricardo Pepi, making his first start for the USMNT, was the hero of the night as he scored the game-winner and added two assists in a four-goal second half.
With their win, the USMNT moved into a tie for second with Canada on the World Cup qualifying table. US soccer Twitter was overjoyed with what they saw from Pepi and the USMNT in that second half.
Crucial 3 points today.
🇺🇸👏🇺🇸👏 pic.twitter.com/hIb7cJIebf
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) September 9, 2021
Is USMNT back??? Sure feels like it. 💪
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) September 9, 2021
Massive response from the @USMNT after a poor first half. There’s so much to be proud of with this performance. Fantastic victory and now we’re back on track 👏🏽⚽️🇺🇸👏🏽⚽️🇺🇸
— Landon Donovan (@landondonovan) September 9, 2021
USMNT in the first half vs second half pic.twitter.com/cDIrdVLObb
— Isaac K. Lee (@IsaacKLee) September 9, 2021
The #USMNT in the 2nd half pic.twitter.com/rTbIQbpfsK
— The Ringer (@ringer) September 9, 2021
USMNT were no doubt hoping for 7-9 points to begin their World Cup qualifying campaign. They’ve been forced to settle for five, but at least now they have their mojo back.
They now face some issues heading into October’s qualifying matches. Home games against Jamaica and Costa Rica sandwich a road game against a surging Panama team. To make matters worse, several of the USMNT’s top stars are either injured, suspended or battling COVID-19.
A lot of things are going to have to go their way and a lot of players will have to step up. If they don’t the struggles of the past three games will seem like a walk in the park by comparison.
But for now, it’s time for a sigh of relief.
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