Accustomed to qualifying for the World Cup with games to spare, the United States players realise another slip could cause them to miss next year’s tournament, a circumstance that has swelled angst among a growing fan base.
‘We need three points bad,’ star teenage midfielder Christian Pulisic said ahead of Friday’s qualifier against Panama. ‘We want to come out flying.’
Fourth in the North and Central American and Caribbean region with two games left, the Americans still can earn one of the region’s three automatic berths.
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Christian Pulisic is calling on his team-mates to make a fast start
USA defender Omar Gonzalez believes the squad must not reflect on past qualifying issues
They likely will need a win against the Panamanians followed by a victory or a draw Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago.
‘I haven’t dwelled on what went wrong or what we didn’t do,’ defender Omar Gonzalez said on Thursday before the Americans trained.
‘We all understand what needs to be done, how we need to step out on the field, the focus that we need to have, the match intensity we need to have throughout the 90-minutes plus.’
The Americans have lost two home games in a World Cup cycle for the first time since 1957, 2-1 to Mexico last November and 2-0 to Costa Rica last month – their first defeat in 16 games since Bruce Arena replaced Jurgen Klinsmann as coach.
Bruce Arena has been tasked with leading the USA to an eighth straight World Cup finals
USA can move above Panama into an automatic spot with victory in Orlando on Friday night
Mexico have clinched their place at the World Cup with 18 points, while Costa Rica have 15 and are of the verge of securing a berth.
The USA would move above Panama into third with a win. Honduras also have nine points going into their match at Costa Rica on Friday, but the Americans have a superior goal difference of plus-one compared to the Ticos’ minus-seven.
CONCACAF’s fourth-place nation enter a play-off next month against Australia or Syria, who head into Tuesday’s game at Sydney following a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
‘I think we have to be all more aggressive,’ forward Jozy Altidore said. ‘It’s a matter of everybody just being a little more confident, taking a little bit more risk in the final third.’
Arena, who coached the national team from 1998-2006 before returning in November, brought in a new temporary assistant this week – Bob Bradley, who succeeded him as USA coach.
Bradley became the first American manager in England’s Premier League and has been hired to lead Los Angeles’ Major League Soccer expansion team that will start to play competitively next year.
‘I can’t think of a greater resource to have available for us,’ Arena said.
Former Sunderland striker Jozy Altidore has called on the team to be ‘more aggressive’
Pulisic turned 19 in September and plenty of responsibility already rests on his shoulders
Panama and the USA have played four consecutive 1-1 draws, including the qualifier at Panama City in March.
Fouls on Pulisic prompted Arena to criticise Mexican referee Cesar Ramos and he said: ‘I think Panama thought there was a bull’s-eye on his back.’
‘It’s to be expected in CONCACAF,’ Pulisic said. ‘They’re going to come in hard.’
Heading into his first international match since turning 19 in September, Pulisic has developed into the top American player since making his debut in the Bundesliga in January 2016.
‘He plays at Borussia Dortmund in front of 80,000 people,’ Altidore said. ‘He plays in Champions League against the biggest players, biggest teams in the world. He’s very relaxed. He’s fine.’
While USA seek an eighth straight World Cup berth, Panama are looking to reach the tournament for the first time.
‘It’s a big occasion,’ Arena said. ‘I don’t think I need to lecture our players on the significance of the game.’
Arena has reminded his players of the magnitude of the occasion heading into the showdown