The United States were in dire need of a top-shelf performance against Honduras in CONCACAF’s Hex round of World Cup qualifying, with zero points and a last-place standing coming into the match. They got everything they needed and then some, with the attacking duo of Clint Dempsey and Christian Pulisic starring en route to an incredible 6-0 win in San Jose that vastly improved the USMNT’s qualifying outlook.
USA vs. Honduras: Final score 6-0, Clint Dempsey and Christian Pulisic dominate
The USMNT earned their first points in the Hex round of World Cup qualifying in eye-opening fashion.
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The USMNT set a strong tone right away in this match, coming out on the front foot and taking the game to Honduras before giving them a chance to settle into the match at all. They pushed hard and fast, unsettling Honduras so much that a deflected fifth minute shot from Christian Pulisic wound up in acres of space at the far post, leaving plenty of time for Sebastian Lletget to race up from midfield to strike the ball home.
It was a big moment for Lletget as the “local boy” in the squad, with the Bay Area native exultant in front of the San Jose crowd. That celebration quickly turned sour, however, as a harsh foul from Ever Alvarado in the 15th minute would see Lletget forced out of the match with an injury shortly after.
The USMNT didn’t let that turn in fortune get them down, though, with Michael Bradley scoring a stunning shot from range with his left foot in the 27th minute. That 2-0 lead was a pleasant surprise to the multitude of United States fans who were nervous coming into the match, and it seemed to take a lot of pressure off the players as well — and that release in pressure allowed the lethal duo of Christian Pulisic and Clint Dempsey to go to work.
The U.S. would take a 3-0 lead before the half thanks to a fantastic pass from Pulisic that Dempsey was able to poke home through a hard challenge from a Honduran defender, and then the pair combined for two more goals in the first five minutes of the second half. Pulisic scored just seconds into the half, then set up Dempsey with a perfect through-ball for their fifth goal. Dempsey wasn’t done, either, scoring a textbook free kick in the 54th minute to complete his hat trick and giving the USMNT a commanding 6-0 lead.
It was a great performance for Bruce Arena’s squad, with favorable results earlier in the day seeing the USMNT leapfrogging to fourth place in the table and clawing back into a positive goal differential. If you could have drawn up a perfect outcome for them coming into the day, this would have been it.
The injuries to Lletget and John Brooks, who had to be stretchered off in the second half, could be a big blow depending on the severity, but the incredible turnaround in momentum and even in the spirit and outlook of the team is massive. It’s the kind of result that can let them go to Panama on Tuesday with confidence and swagger, something we haven’t been able to say in a long, long time.
United States: Tim Howard; Jorge Villafaña, John Brooks (Tim Ream 70’), Omar Gonzalez, Geoff Cameron (Graham Zusi 59’); Michael Bradley; Sebastian Lletget, Darlington Nagbe; Christian Pulisic; Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore
Goals: Lletget (5’), Bradley (27’), Dempsey (32’, 49’, 54’), Pulisic (46’)
Honduras: Donis Escober; Emilio Izaguirre (Boniek Garcia 46’), Maynor Figueroa, Henry Figueroa, Ever Alvarado, Brayan Beckeles; Romell Quioto (Erick Andino 43’), Roger Espinoza, Jorge Claros, Andy Najar (Oliver Morazan 61’); Alberth Elis
Goals: None
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