Weston McKennie and Walker Zimmerman scored from two first-half set pieces and second-half
substitute Christian Pulisic added a third to guide the USMNT to a 3-0 win in
their World Cup qualifying match against Honduras in a freezing Minnesota night
on Wednesday.

With three
games remaining in the CONCACAF qualifiers, the USMNT are second in the standings
with 21 points from 11 games, behind leaders Canada on 22 points. Mexico (18),
Panama (17) and Costa Rica (16) occupy the third, fourth and fifth positions
respectively.

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Canada will take on El Salvador later on Wednesday, with Mexico hosting Panama.
The top three sides will qualify directly for the World Cup this year, with the
fourth set to play a playoff against the Oceania champions, most likely New
Zealand.

Meanwhile,
American goalkeeper Matt Turner was a virtual spectator on a frigid night in Saint
Paul, where temperature was -16 degree Celsius (3-degree Fahrenheit) at kickoff.
The US Soccer Federation picked the venue, along with Columbus, Ohio for
maximum home advantage over their South American rivals from tropical
countries.

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“It was
freezing out here. I’m looking forward to getting into the locker room,”
Pulisic said after the win.

McKennie
sent the sellout crowd of 19,202 into frenzy with a header from a Kellyn Acosta
freekick in the eighth minute in what was the USMNT’s first set-piece goal in 11
qualifier games. This was McKennie’s ninth international goal, and his second
in World Cup qualifiers.

Zimmerman’s
aerial prowess came good in the 37th minute, when he connected with
another Acosta freekick to slot past Honduras goalkeeper Luis Lopez.

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Pulisic
scored three minutes after coming on in the 64th minute, firing home
from near the box after the ball fell kindly in his path following a corner,
delivered by Acosta.

“It’s my job
to come in and make a difference, and I’m glad I did,” Pulisic said.

The US are
next in action against Panama in Orlando, Florida on March 27 and will qualify
for the World Cup with a win, if Panama fail to beat Mexico later today and Costa
Rica do not win any of their next three games.