Despite a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica, the United States secured a spot in the World Cup. There is a time and a place for it. The Costa Rica National Stadium had a loud, celebratory atmosphere. The United States men's national soccer team had just been defeated 2-0 by Los Ticos in San Jose. Despite the fact that the home side failed to get an automatic place in the playoffs, there were fireworks. The whole thing was confusing for the exhausted U.S. squad. It was obvious to mirror the fans' level of emotion in the opposite direction. After walking back to the locker room, coach Berhalter told them that they had qualified for the World Cup. As competitors, we hate losing. But coming in the locker room, we realized our goal, which was to qualify, and everyone forgot about it. We put ourselves in a position where we could afford it. This accomplishment is not something that should be taken for granted. It has been a constant talking point in American soccer circles since the team failed to qualify for the World Cup after falling to Trinidad and Tobago. - Social media goes wild after U.S. clinches World Cup spot
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No one with the team has been more closely associated with missing out on the World Cup in Russia than forward Christian Pulisic. The team's loss to Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most enduring images of the team, with 19-year-old Christian Pulisic leaving the field in tears.
It was one of the toughest days of my life. We are extremely proud to be in this position and qualified for the World Cup. This is where I have always wanted to be, and right now, my emotions are crazy.
It was clear in the moments after the game that Pulisic was upset with the way the team played. It took getting back into the locker room, where goggles were provided to protect the players during the champagne showers, before he placed everything into the appropriate perspective.
I think we can be happy and proud. He said that they qualified for the World Cup. We know that.
The players who hadn't taken part in the year before understood the stakes. It would have been terrible for the U.S. to miss out on the World Cup after having participated in the previous six tournaments.
I think that was a really important motivator for us. We had a job to finish and a job to accomplish, and we did that.
| GP | PTS | GD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Canada (Q) | 14 | 28 | +16 |
| 2 - Mexico (Q) | 14 | 28 | +9 |
| 2 - USA (Q) | 14 | 25 | +11 |
| 4 - Costa Rica (P) | 14 | 25 | +5 |
| 5 - Panama | 14 | 21 | -2 |
| 6 - Jamaica | 14 | 11 | -10 |
| 7 - El Salvador | 14 | 10 | -10 |
| 8 - Honduras | 14 | 4 | -19 |
| 1-3 qualify; 4 into playoff |
It was anticlimactic to beat Panama on Sunday. The job was done because the U.S. only needed to lose by less than six goals against Costa Rica. The Costa Rica coach didn't need to use his players on yellow cards against the US because he was already focused on the intercontinental playoff against New Zealand.
Not that he needed them.
The Americans won the Gold Cup and the Nations League this summer, so expectations were high. They earned the right to go into the process as the favorite to win the title. That did not happen.
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Canada and Mexico both finished three points ahead, while the U.S. tied for third with Costa Rica but received the third automatic World Cup berth via superior goal differential. The U.S. underachieved. The disappointing final performance against a bunch of Costa Rican backups was not what it would have liked.
The nature of sport is to measure success by how results compare to expectations. Canada is one of the best stories in world soccer at the moment, while both Mexico and the U.S. have mixed reviews. The three teams and Costa Rica performed at the same level.
The United States has qualified for the World Cup in 2022.
Berhalter has leaned on how young the U.S. squad is a lot throughout the cycle. It could be the youngest team at the World Cup.
The youth component should not be used as a limiting factor.
I think we have a hungry team. A bunch of hungry guys who are playing in top-level clubs across the world, and I think we can go in with confidence, no matter our age. Hopefully the country will support us and we will give it everything.
The World Cup has a guarantee of just three games, but the build up is a huge part of the experience. The draw on Friday will determine which teams get sorted into which groups. Knowing who the Americans will play in the tournament in November will likely affect what teams Berhalter schedules to play in friendly games between now and then.
We will play teams from other continents to get a feel for a different type of soccer.
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