SAN PEDRO SULA (Hon­duras): The United States were skidding to another World Cup qualifying failure when Antonee Robinson entered, quickly tied the score and celebrated with a backward somersault.

The entire game soon flipped.

Ricardo Pepi put the US ahead in the 75th minute, Brenden Aaronson and Sebastian Lletget added late goals and the US rolled past Honduras 4-1 on Wednesday night.

“I think it’s really important that we did that just to show everyone that at times its going to be a hard qualifying process, but were ready for the challenges that’ll come ahead,” Robinson said. “We can respond to anything.”

Pepi scored a crucial header and had two assists in his debut, as the Americans exhaled after a tumultuous week of injuries, positive Covid-19 tests and a huge disciplinary issue for their first victory of CONCACAF’s final round of qualifiers after two opening draws.

US coach Gregg Berhalter’s team had been outplayed in a lacklustre opening 45 minutes that saw Honduras take the lead through a Brayan Moya header on 27 minutes.

Mexico, held to a 1-1 draw by Panama earlier on Wednesday, lead the North and Central American and Caribbean region with seven points.

Mexico got a 76th-minute goal from Jess Corona after Panama went ahead on Rolando Blackburn’s 28th-minute goal.

Canada are second with five points from three games, tied with the US on identical goals for and against, after a thumping 3-0 win over El Salvador in Toronto with goals by Atiba Hutchison, Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan.

Panama have five points and trails on goals, while Costa Rica, who drew 1-1 with Jamaica in San Jose, and Honduras have two points apiece and Jamaica one. The top three nations qualify.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2021