Frigid conditions dominated the conversation before and during Wednesday night's FIFA World Cup Qualifier between the U.S. Men's National Team and Honduras - temperatures dipped as low as 2 degrees with a "feels like" temperature of -12 degrees - but the Americans battled through the cold to claim an absolutely vital 3-0 win at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner admittedly didn't have much to do (other than try to stay warm), but registered yet another clean sheet to push his USMNT record to 12-2-2 with 11 shutouts since debuting last January. He was one of just three players - along with Antonee Robinson and Weston McKennie - to start all three games in this winter qualifying window, as the U.S. went 2-1-0 to move ever closer to a spot in next winter's World Cup in Qatar. Revolution teammate Sebastian Lletget was in the matchday squad but was an unused substitute.
McKennie, Walker Zimmerman, and Christian Pulisic were the goal scorers on Wednesday night, all three goals originating from set pieces taken by Kellyn Acosta.
The U.S. (6-2-3, 21 pts.) remains in second place in Concacaf's final round of qualifying, with three more games remaining in late March against Mexico (March 24), Panama ((March 27), and Costa Rica (March 30). Those three games will ultimately determine whether the U.S. books a place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Turner and Lletget will now join the Revolution's preseason camp in Los Angeles, where the club will train through next Wednesday (Feb. 9), including a friendly against the LA Galaxy this Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park. That game will be streamed live here on the Revolution's web site, available to those in the New England broadcast region. Lletget, acquired by the Revolution via trade this past December, will be joining his new team for the first time.
