Christian Pulisic (#10) celebrates with teammate DeAndre Yedlin after scoring one of his two goals in the USA's win over visiting Trinidad & Tobago in a World Cup qualifier on June 8, 2017, in Commerce City, Colorado. (Photo: John Todd/isiphotos.com)
COMMERCE CITY, Colorado – Christian Pulisic scored two goals and the United States (2W-1D-2L, 7 points) earned a 2-0 win over visiting Trinidad & Tobago (1-0-4, 3) in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
With the result, the Americans moved provisionally into third place in the final round of CONCACAF play, trailing only second-place Costa Rica on goal difference and first-place Mexico by three points. Later in the evening. Mexico will host Honduras and Costa Rica will visit Panama.
Following an energetic -- but scoreless -- first half, Pulisic changed the match during a ten-minute stretch.
The 18-year-old Borussia Dortmund star gave the Americans a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute, when he slid the ball home from close range off a pinpoint feed from the right side of the box by DeAndre Yedlin after some neat work by Darlington Nagbe.
Ten minutes later, the racing Pulisic received a pass from Jozy Altidore in the right side of the box and beat goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams with a right-footed shot from eight-yards out.
T&T could have went ahead in the 33rd minute, but Kenwyne Jones’ header crashed off the crossbar with goalkeeper Tim Howard caught way off his line.
Shortly afterwards, Altidore sent two headers over the crossbar.
In the 54th minute, Nathan Lewis thought he leveled for the Soca Warriors, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
NEXT UP
June 11, 2017: Mexico v USA
June 13, 2017: Costa Rica v Trinidad & Tobago
