3 stars of the USMNT’s emphatic 6-0 win over Honduras

In its first competitive match since Arena replaced Jurgen Klinsmann, the US moved from last to fourth in the final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region.

Bruce Arena’s first competitive match at the helm of the United States men’s national team for the second time is a near-must-win World Cup qualifier against Honduras, and he’s turned to a diamond shape.

In the leadup to the USA men’s national team’s critical World Cup qualifier tonight against Honduras, the usual and deserved attention has been predictably focused on Christian Pulisic, who, if you somehow still need an introduction, is the young American phenom lighting it up for Borussia Dortmund overseas and inspiring his countrymen at home.

Injuries to Bobby Wood and Jordan Morris removed any doubt about Dempsey’s role for these crucial World Cup qualifiers.

Instead of giving you our player ratings, we what to know what you think. Arena held the country’s top job for eight years between 1998 and 2006, the longest run in the team’s history, and he knows better than anyone the peculiar pitfalls of qualifying through CONCACAF. Thursday night, the Americans were aggressive from the opening whistle, looked hungry, organized and confident.

Last August, Dempsey was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, a potentially fatal condition that left his career – and his life – in danger. Three minutes later and it was 5-0, with Pulisic threading a sublime pass through to Dempsey who calmly claimed his second goal. With a score of 6-0, the largest goal margin in U.S.

It was mostly thanks to Dempsey and Pulisic, the latter allowed too much space as he took complete control of the contest. An example is that Altidore and Dempsey are more comfortable playing with another forward up top, Arena accommodated that.

Arena started Portland’s talented midfielder Darlington Nagbe, who had fallen out of favor with Klinsmann. Relative newcomer Sebastian Lletget played in front of him.

When they lined up to start the second half, the first thing I thought was, “wow we have all five attacking players at midfield right now”. It was one of the best United States of America sides ever, and they capped off their best World Cup run in modern history by beating arch-rivals Mexico in the Round of 16 and stretching runners-up Germany in the quarter-finals. So does Arena start him again Tuesday in Panama or turn to tried-and-tested veteran DaMarcus Beasley? The fourth-place team goes into a playoff against the fifth place team from Asia.

The referee was signaling an advantage call when the goal was scored, meaning the US likely would have received a penalty kick if Dempsey’s shot had been saved or gone wide. It took only five minutes for Lletget to find the back of the net when he knocked in Pulisic’s deflected shot.

Lletget would make way due to an ankle injury shortly after, but captain Bradley doubled the lead in the 27th minute.

The Americans didn’t let up after the break.

On the second, with the USA leading 4-0 in the second half, Pulisic paused on the ball in the Honduran end.

A pulverizing performance fueled by Clint Dempsey’s second USA hat trick and a superb game (one goal, two assists, dozens of sweet touches) by Christian Pulisic has certainly reversed the grim mood of nightmarish November losses to Mexico at home (1-2) and in Costa Rica (0-4).

“There’s always the possibility that you’re not going to be able to come back and be at that high level”, Dempsey said. The U.S. scored some majestic and mind-bending goals.s. Most U.S. fans surely share their sentiments. He’s also already established himself as a shiny, new, indispensable cog in the rusty, old national team machine. “Can’t wait for Tuesday”.