The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) knows better than to assume that its World Cup qualification job is over. #1
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The American guys were pumped up, the Orlando audience was ecstatic, and any lingering doubts about the outcome were dispelled inside the first half hour of play. United States forward Christian Pulisic scored the first goal, and the Americans were off and running, leading Panama by multiple goals at halftime before coasting to an easy and emphatic victory in their last World Cup qualifying match. Except for an unfathomable, unprecedented outcome in the last away game, the Americans have a good chance of qualifying for the World Cup. The task looked to be completed.
Similarly to 2017, the year 2022 will be eerily similar to 2017. Copy and paste are the only options. The parallels are startlingly obvious. However, there didn't seem to be any actual symmetry on Sunday evening at Exploria Stadium, which was packed to capacity. There, this young, ambitious, and remodelled United States national squad thrashed Panama 5–1 on the strength of a hat trick from Christian Pulisic, and strode boldly into the Qatar World Cup.
Everyone associated with coach Gregg Berhalter's team, as well as every fan in attendance, is fully informed of the events of October 2017. The United States defeated Panama by four goals at the same stadium at the same stage of qualifying, and then flew to Trinidad and Tobago requiring just a draw against the Soca Warriors 'B' squad, who were in last position. The journey was treated as though it were a routine. However, what followed was the most surprising and catastrophic loss in American soccer history—a failure that has reverberated across the country and acted as a fuel for the national team's continuing youth development program.
It was a time of transition for the United States squad in 2017, which was trapped between generations and had lost much of its cohesiveness and chemistry following years under previous coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Bruce Arena, his successor, looked to be on play tic tac toe the brink of leading the United States all the way to Russia before tripping severely in the last stretch.
This new national squad is on a very different path from the previous one. After three years of development under Berhalter, there is a strong tactical framework in place, as well as an established core of young players who routinely express their delight at the prospect of reporting to camp and collaborating with one another. Many of them play on a regular basis for big European teams. They've learnt on the job in Concacaf, winning the Gold Cup and Nations League crowns last summer before moving to second place in the Octagonal, which will send the top three finishers to the World Cup in Brazil in June and July. This isn't a defective organization that lacks a sense of identity and is dragging its feet to the finish line.
They should be able to complete the ascent by Wednesday in San José, Costa Rica. The United States (7-2-4) has never triumphed in the Octagonal final, but it doesn't have to in this one. It is possible for the visitors to Los Ticos to lose by five goals (6-3-4) and yet qualify for the November-December World Cup in Russia. The last time the United States lost a match by six goals was in a friendly against France in 1979 at home. However, even if the unthinkable happens, the Americans would still go to a one-game playoff in June, when they will face either New Zealand or the Solomon Islands. However, that prospect seems to be very implausible, both statistically and athletically—even more so than the failure to draw in Trinidad and Tobago four or five years ago.
After scoring in the first half of Sunday night's game, winger Paul Arriola, who was a part of the 2017 squad, remarked, "I'm not celebrating anything." Four years ago, I was in this identical situation, or a position that was quite close to it, and we all know how that qualification ended out. Keeping my concentration and realizing that we still have work to do is all that is required for me right now. Anything is possible. The attitude of this squad is, and must remain, focused on achieving a positive outcome versus Costa Rica."
The significance of Sunday's victory, as well as the ecstatic atmosphere at Exploria, prompted someone on the bench to quickly hand the players a banner that said 'QUALIFIED' as they celebrated with supporters behind the south goal. When you consider the history of this program, it was a cringe-inducing oversight. However, it was Pulisic who was the first to see what was occurring and snatched the flag away from his teammates' grasping fingers.
According to Pulisic, "the lads were very baffled by what it stated." When we recognized what we'd done, it was just a case of saying, "There's no need to brag about it because we still have a job to perform, and we know that." That's why we had to relocate it."