(Reuters) – Two second-half goals from Christian Pulisic gave the United States a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday and lifted them back into contention for an automatic berth at the 2018 World Cup finals.
The win put the United States on seven points from five games in the CONCACAF Hexagonal and continues their good run under new coach Bruce Arena. CONCACAF represents football in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Group leader Mexico, who host the United States on Sunday, have 10 points from four matches and are expected to add to that tally when they face Honduras later on Thursday.
Costa Rica, on seven points, and Panama, with five, meet in San Jose also later on Thursday.
The United States struggled to get going in the first half in Colorado, and almost fell behind when the visitors’ Kenwyne Jones smacked a header off the bar, but they got the breakthrough after 52 minutes when Pulisic slid in to stab home a low cross from DeAndre Yedlin.
Pulisic doubled his tally 10 minutes later when he ran on to a perfectly weighted pass from Jozy Altidore and slotted past goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams. It was Pulisic’s fourth goal in his last four games for the national side.
“It took us a little while to get going but once we’d worn them down our quality showed,” Pulisic said in a televised interview.
The top three teams from CONCACAF qualifying earn an automatic spot at the 2018 finals in Russia, while the fourth-placed team go into a play-off against a side from the Asian confederation.
