With two games left for the World Cup qualifiers, the United States begin a game against Panama in Orlando, knowing that winning the last home game will be the key before they reach the final. Sounds familiar? The USA beat Panama 4-0 in October 2017, as Christian Pulisic scored the first goal and scored the second. Just needing a draw four days later, the Americans failed to lose 2-1 to Trinidad and Tobago, a nadir in American football that ended a seven-game winning streak in the World Cup. “Every game comes with pressure, different pressure and, of course, we feel it,” goalkeeper Zack Steffen said on Saturday. “We are aware of the emotions, our emotions that are involved in it, and we are just going to put them in the back and go out there and play the game we have been playing for our whole lives.” Canada leads Concacaf by 25 points and the USA is second with 22, ahead of Mexico in the goal difference. Costa Rica is fourth with 19 and Panama fifth with 18. The top three countries qualify for this year’s World Cup and fourth place qualifies for the playoffs against champions Oceania, possibly New Zealand. The USA can win on Sunday with a victory and Costa Rica failing to win in El Salvador, or with a draw if Los Ticos lose. A draw in the US will not guarantee worse than a place in the playoffs. With a nine-goal lead over Costa Rica plus two, a win would put the United States in a position to head for Costa Rica as long as they needed to avoid a one-sided defeat. “It’s very important that we do not catch up,” said American coach Greg Berhalter. “I know there are similarities with the previous time, but we are looking forward to it. I do not think this is a team that looks back. We recognize what has happened in the past. It’s part of who we are as players and the program of the US Men’s National Team. We recognize this, but we have to chart our own path and tomorrow is a good time to do it. “ Goalkeeper Matt Turner, right-back Sergino Dest, center-back Chris Richards and midfielders Weston McKennie and Brenden Aaronson were injured, backup right-back DeAndre Yedlin and winger Tim Weah were sent off and No. 3 right-back is Reggie Can Covid-19. Shaq Moore came from Spain to meet the team in Orlando and it seemed possible to start from the right back. The USA comes from the 0-0 draw on Thursday against Mexico at an altitude in Mexico City, when the Americans had the best chances. The United States followed the emotional high of a home win over El Tri in November with an anomalous 1-1 draw in Jamaica. “It was just a completely different atmosphere and we knew it was going to be a tough game, a bad game and something we just had to deal with,” Steffen said. “This time, I think taking a degree in Azteca, all the energy and emotions that were exercised there, we did not get very high, we did not fall very low. “Returning to Orlando, where we are all concentrated, just to stay in the moment.”
