SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 24: Clint Dempsey #8 of the United States scores a goal as Henry Figueroa #4 of Honduras defends during their FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier at Avaya Stadium on March 24, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
After two crushing defeats to Costa Rica and Mexico in the last round of 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying in November, the U.S. men’s national soccer team bounced back with a thunderous 6-0 victory over Honduras in San Jose, California on Friday night.
The American men have thus improved their place in the CONCACAF — the region encompassing North and Central America and the Caribbean — hexagonal standings to fourth with 3 points, behind first-place Mexico (7), second-place Costa Rica (6), and third-place Panama (4).
Trinidad & Tobago and Honduras are the last two teams in the six-country table, with 3 points each.
The USMNT, led by new coach Bruce Arena, know they have quite a bit of work to do to secure their spot in next year’s tournament in Russia, however. Clint Dempsey scored a hat-trick in Friday’s win over Honduras.
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“We’re not in a situation where we can say, ‘Great, we took our three points at home, whatever we get on the road is extra,’ ” captain Michael Bradley said. “No. We have to come here and take points. We want three.”
Bradley — who criticized President Donald Trump earlier this year after Trump’s attempt to pass an executive order banning Muslims from seven countries failed — added that if after 90 minutes of play in Panama City on Tuesday, they only get one point because of a tie, “then fine. But the mentality is that we have to follow up a big win with another real good performance.”
Tuesday’s game at Rommel Fernandez Stadium (10 pm EST) will be the team’s fourth of ten games in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying. . Three teams will receive automatic berths, a fourth will go to a two-leg playoff against Asia’s fifth-place team.
This is Arena’s second stint as USMNT coach, his previous tenure going from 1998 to 2006.
When asked about his coaching style and strategy, Arena refused to contrast these to his predecessor, Jurgen Klinsmann, who was fired in November after the two losses in the previous qualifying round.
“I have spent no time in the past. There’s nothing I can do about it,” he said. “I kind of have a sense about things, but there’s no point spending a whole lot of time investigating what went on in the past: good, bad or indifferent. The idea was just to get it going the right way from the start.”
Arena has two rules: be on time and be respectful. He also said he wants to grant some autonomy and leadership to several of the veteran players.
“I really believe in that because it’s their team; it’s not my team. It’s their team, and they have to take ownership.
“It becomes contagious in the group. If you have a bunch of people who are [jerks], it tends to be what your team looks like. If it’s my job to control them all day, I don’t think we have a chance. And I’m basically not interested in doing it. I would just open up a preschool.”
Bradley credits Arena for implementing improvements in the few weeks he’s been with the team. “We had lost our way in some ways,” he said. “Bruce has just done a very good job of coming in and being very clear with how we’re going to do things, with what he wants us to be about, on the field, off the field. The guys have responded in a really good way.”
The USMNT has lost several players to injuries recently, including Bobby Wood and Fabian Johnson, and Arena announced two more this week: John Brooks and Jordan Morris.
Here is the info for the game:
What: Fourth of 10 World Cup final-round qualifiers for each team.
Where: Rommel Fernandez Stadium, Panama City.
When: Tuesday at 10 pm EST.
TV: beIN Sports, (English broadcast) Telemundo, Universo (Spanish broadcasts).
Live streams: beIN Sports Connect, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo, Universo Now, fuboTV, go90.
CONCACAF standings
Mexico 2-0-1, 7 points, +3 goal differential
Costa Rica 2-1-0, 6 points, +4
Panama 1-1-1, 4 points, 0
United States 1-2-0, 3 points, +1
Trinidad & Tobago 1-2-0, 3 points, -3
Honduras 1-2-0, 3 points, -5
Other games:
Costa Rica at Honduras, 5 p.m. (Universo)
Mexico at Trinidad & Tobago, 7 p.m. (beIN Sports, Telemundo)
SAN JOSE, CA – MARCH 24: Clint Dempsey #8 of the United States scores a goal as Henry Figueroa #4 of Honduras defends during their FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier at Avaya Stadium on March 24, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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