(Reuters) -The United States hammered Honduras 3-0 on Wednesday for a much-needed three points in World Cup qualifying.
After getting off to a sluggish start in their 2-0 loss to Canada on Sunday, the United States played with a sense of urgency from the outset to put Honduras on the back foot.
Weston McKennie perfectly timed his jump to head home the opener in the eighth minute on a frigid night in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Walker Zimmerman added a second before halftime, with the goal only confirmed after a lengthy VAR review.
Christian Pulisic, who has struggled in recent appearances, came off the bench to a huge ovation in the second half and scored minutes later to put the game out of reach.
“It was a great performance from the team today to get a really important three points,” Pulisic said.
“It was my job to come in and make a difference, and I’m glad I could do that.”
With three games to go in qualifying, the United States are in second place behind Canada with 21 points in the eight-team CONCACAF group.
The top three automatically qualify for Qatar 2022 with the fourth-placed side going into an international playoff.
Also on Wednesday, Costa Rica eliminated Jamaica with a 1-0 win, while Canada play El Salvador and Mexico face Panama.
The United States are trying to reach the World Cup after missing out on Russia in 2018, while winless Honduras had already been eliminated coming into the match.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
