The US men's national team got their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a 4-1 win over Honduras on Wednesday night.
After going 1–0 down at halftime, manager Greg Berhalter made three substitutions to start the second half with aplomb. What happened was a four-goal attack, as the USMNT climbed into third place in the octagon as the first international window draws to a close.
It was a classic "two halves tale" type of match. After struggling at 4-3-3, Berhalter leveled his team at 3-4-3. What happened was more than 45 minutes slower than the last four laps, with gaps in the midfield, the last seven more between the attack, and all over the defensive line.
After tactical changes and personnel swaps, the team appeared to be far more capable of achieving success. Fullbacks Antoine Robinson and DeAndre Yedlin came off the bench and hit straight goals, Robinson equalized and Yedlin assisted the match-winning. FC Dallas home player Ricardo Pepi made his case as the United States' new starting striker, as the 18-year-old Texan scored the winner and added two assists in his senior international debut.
However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.
After an injury to Gio Reyna, Jack Steffen for COVID-19 and Weston McKennie for a protocol violation, Christian Pulisic was ruled out of the game in the 62nd minute with an apparent lower leg injury. This will be a situation to watch for American fans and Chelsea loyalists alike and could significantly impact the upcoming October window.
Still, a traditionally hard-placed win is a big shot for Berhalter and his team as they look to correct the mistakes of 2017.