USA 6-0 Honduras: Three things we learned

The USMNT put in a dominant performance in their must-win World Cup Qualifier against Honduras in San Jose on Friday.

With their backs firmly against the wall the USMNT utterly dominated Honduras to get their 2018 World Cup qualification campaign back on track. U.S. head coach Bruce Arena fielded a lineup designed to push the attack, but no one would have guessed just how effective it would be.

Darlington Nagbe and Christian Pulisic occupied the wings while captain Michael Bradley sat in front of the back four in a true number 6 role. Relative newcomer Sebastian Lletget played in front of him. The historically successful striker pairing of Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore were brought together again up top.

And the goals poured in.

Geoff Cameron got the start at right back as part of a defensive alignment that held strong all night. With the back four and Bradley providing adequate cover, the attackers were free to make things happen. And they made things happen to the tune of six goals. It was a sight to behold. Here’s three things we learned during the giant win for the USMNT.

1. The future is now for Pulisic and Nagbe

Supporters of the USMNT had been calling for these two to be on the field together for sometime now. Arena, in his second stint as manager, finally made it happen, and it paid off in spades.

Pulisic had his fingerprints all over the match as he was directly involved in three of the U.S.’s goals. His deflected shot was tapped in by Lletget in the fifth minute. During the wild start to the second half that saw the USMNT score three goals in eight minutes, the 18-year-old scored a goal and set up Dempsey for another. Pulisic has worn the number 10 shirt for the last few months; he completely earned it tonight.

Darlington Nagbe may not have shown up on the score sheet, but his steady presence on the ball and calm decision making in his passing had a huge impact. From the opening whistle the Portland Timbers man was a nuisance to Honduras defenders. He certainly made the case that he should be in the Yanks’ starting lineup for the foreseeable future.

2. Clint Dempsey is all the way back

Deuce wasn’t supposed to be on this roster. Then he wasn’t supposed to start. Then he scored a hat trick. Dempsey’s experience and skill were fully on display on Friday as he scored two during the run of play and hit the mark on a ridiculous free kick.

Dempsey’s performance against Honduras displayed just how important he is to this team going forward. They young guns are vital to the USMNT’s success, but for the Yanks to achieve qualification and have a good showing in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Deuce has to be on the field. Welcome back, Clint. We missed you.

3. Bruce Arena was exactly the right choice

Arena may have been seen as an emergency fix to get the USMNT back on track. This is true. But he is also precisely what the U.S. need to be relevant on the world stage for 2018 and beyond.

Arena apparently has the novel idea of playing the best players in their best positions. This was evidenced by his selection of Nagbe and Lletget in the midfield alongside no-brainers such as Bradley and Pulisic. Pairing Dempsey and Altidore up top seemed pretty obvious, but it’s the type of decision that couldn’t be counted on under Jurgen Klinsmann.

What Arena does when faced with a fully healthy roster – with the likes of Fabian Johnson, DeAndre Yedlin and Bobby Wood available for selection – is yet to be seen. But if the lineup and tactics utilized against Honduras are any indication USMNT supporters can only have confidence in their new-old head coach going forward.

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With this win, and the six goals scored, the USMNT moves up to fourth place in the hexagonal. Another big win against Panama on Tuesday would see them move up to third place, and back on track to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. USMNT fans couldn’t have asked for anything more than they were given on Friday night.