Antonee Robinson (5) celebrates his purpose with Weston McKennie (8) and Chris Richards (15).
AP
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Antonee Robinson somersaulted a struggling United States into a powerful place in World Cup qualifying, similar to he did in September.
And when he broke by the freeze within the air and the offense, he celebrated with not a single handstand however a double.
“We’re undoubtedly one step nearer,” Robinson mentioned after his 52nd-minute purpose lifted the U.S. over El Salvador 1-0 on Thursday evening to maintain the People on monitor for a World Cup return. “It wasn’t the prettiest recreation.”
However his purpose celebration on a 29-degree evening was a showpiece worthy of a gymnast: a ahead flip right into a backward spring.
“It’s simply a kind of muscle-memory issues. I’ve been doing it since I used to be a child,” he mentioned.
Robinson adopted by grabbing his hamstring after which feigned a stiff-legged stroll.
“He form of scared me as a result of I assumed he pulled his hammy,” Tim Weah mentioned.
No worries. Robinson was mimicking a Kenyan participant he noticed whereas taking part in for Everton’s youth staff as a young person in Africa.
“My good friend’s been on me for weeks to do this celebration, so I needed to pull it out,” Robinson mentioned. “Didn’t inform anybody, so there have been a number of individuals scared. It’s all a part of the enjoyable of having fun with the sport.”
The U.S. has 18 factors with 5 qualifiers left, one level behind Canada. Mexico has 17, adopted by Panama (14), Costa Rica (12), Jamaica (seven), El Salvador (six) and Honduras (three). The highest three nations qualify from North and Central America and the Caribbean, and the fourth-place staff advances to a playoff in opposition to the Oceania champion, doubtless New Zealand.
The U.S. is at Canada on Sunday and hosts Honduras on Wednesday at St. Paul, Minnesota. Qualifying ends in March with journeys to Mexico and Costa Rica round a matchup with Panama in Orlando, Florida.
“We’re one step nearer to our purpose,” Robinson mentioned.
His nickname is Jedi — it dates to his love for “Star Wars” as a 5-year-old and isn’t associated to the celebration.
“I really feel bizarre being referred to as Antonee,” the 24-year-old left again mentioned. “I desire being referred to as Jedi.”
Robinson scored after Weston McKennie performed a protracted ball down the appropriate flank to Weah, who let it bounce thrice as he ran previous Roberto Domínguez and Eduardo Vigil.
Goalkeeper Mario González made a sliding block on Weah, and the ball rebounded to Jesús Ferreira, a shock starter instead of Ricardo Pepi. Ferreira headed the ball throughout the goalmouth and Christian Pulisic let the it bounce previous him to Robinson, who kicked it in together with his left foot from 8 yards for his second worldwide purpose.
His tying Forty second-minute purpose at Honduras sparked the U.S. to a 4-1 win final September.
“We name our fullbacks our superpower,” coach Gregg Berhalter mentioned. “We put an emphasis on our fullbacks arriving within the penalty field.”
The People outshot El Salvador 17-6 and had 62% possession however the offense adopted its sample, scoring 11 of its 13 objectives within the second half. The U.S. has received 15 straight over El Salvador at residence.
“We lacked connection in our urgent,” Berhalter mentioned. “The ambition to play ahead and get behind them was lacking for the 90 minutes. We had it in spurts.”
Matt Turner took over in purpose from Zack Steffen, who remained in England due to a foul again. Turner, on the verge of leaving New England for the Premier League, didn’t must make a save.
“Undrafted out of school and now he’s taking part in with the nationwide staff and he’s headed to Arsenal. It’s simply an incredible, superb story, and it’s all all the way down to him and his work ethic and his perception in himself and his never-give-up angle,” Berhalter mentioned. “He was calm in all conditions, wasn’t examined a lot however was there after we wanted him. And he regarded like a participant that’s going to Arsenal, for certain.”
The U.S. Soccer Federation scheduled the match in a chilly local weather to reduce journey and put the nippiness on El Salvador, which went to a sporting items retailer to buy extra winter gear.
El Gráfico, a Salvadoran sports activities newspaper, headlined the match “En una hielera.” Translation: “In a freezer.”
Snow flurries fell throughout warmups and the temperature was the identical as for the “Guerra Fria” win over Mexico at outdated Columbus Crew Stadium in February 2001 and the Snow Clasico victory over Costa Rica at Commerce Metropolis, Colorado, in March 2013.
U.S. gamers has electrical heated cushions on the bench and refreshments of rooster broth and cider. The locker room temperature was set unusually low to acclimatize the staff.
Defenders Walker Zimmerman and Chris Richards have been the one starters for both staff to put on quick sleeves. About 12 minutes in, El Salvador’s Enrico Hernández went to the bench and took off his thermal underwear.
Pulisic, McKennie and Tyler Adams began collectively for simply the second time, the primary since a March 2019 exhibition in opposition to Ecuador. Pulisic struggled to create and was changed by Brenden Aaronson within the sixty fifth minute.
“The effectiveness might have been extra,” Berhalter mentioned. “It’s nearly him discovering his high type and actually discovering methods to get him in entrance of purpose, as a result of that’s the place he actually shines.”
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