World Cup qualifying top plays: U.S. defeats Honduras in chilly temps
Choosing St. Paul, Minnesota as the site for a winter World Cup qualifier vs. Honduras might have seemed like a good idea at the time. After all, why not make the visitors as uncomfortable as possible?
But the freezing weather didn't appear to hinder the U.S. Men's National Team, as they dominated Honduras on the way to a 3-0 win.
As FOX Sports Soccer Writer Doug McIntyre wrote ahead of the game, the cold temperatures at Allianz Field could have been "a potentially self-inflicted wound for U.S. Soccer," and wouldn't help in "dealing with the physical toll of playing in freezing temperatures three times in seven days."
But the squad looked just fine.
Here are the top plays.
Well, that was fast
Less than eight minutes into the game, Weston McKennie gave the United States an early 1-0 lead thanks to this header.
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After a Honduras foul, USMNT executes the set piece from the front third to perfection with a 6th minute goal from Weston McKennie. The header gave USMNT the early 1-0 over Honduras.
How about another?
The United States scored their second goal in nearly identical fashion as its first, only from the opposite side of the field. Walker Zimmerman's goal pushed the United States ahead 2-0.
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USMNT grab the 2-0 lead over Honduras late in the first half off another set piece goal, this time from Walker Zimmerman.
A magic moment
Christian Pulisic came into the game to a roar from fans, showing support to the USMNT veteran. He immediately gave the fans even more reason to cheer by scoring the third goal of the night for the United States.
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Coming off the bench, Christian Pulisic subs in and quickly makes an impact, scoring off a corner kick.
That proved to be the decisive blow for Honduras, with the United States securing a 3-0 win.