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Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Substitute Christian Pulisic scored in the 67th minute and the United States Men's National Team rebounded from a setback to beat Honduras for a crucial World Cup soccer qualifier win over Honduras in St. Paul, Minn. Right wing Weston McKennie and defender Walker Zimmerman also scored in the 3-0 victory Wednesday at Allianz Field. The game-time temperature in St. Paul was below-zero.
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"We felt like we were in really good for and in control of the game," McKennie told reporters.
The Americans remain in second place behind Canada in the World Cup CONCACAF qualifier standings. The Top 3 teams directly qualify for the World Cup. The No. 4 team goes to an intercontinental playoff.
"I'm really appreciative of the players' mindset in a game like [this] and a night like [this]," U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said.
"They battled through the conditions, but showed the determination and the grit to get a strong victory in a dominant performance."
McKennie drew first blood in the 8th minute. Center midfielder Kellyn Acosta took a free kick from about 35 yards away to spark the score.
The ball sailed from the right flank, went right to left and found McKennie in the middle of the box. The American midfielder out-jumped a defender and flicked a header just inside the near post, beating Honduras goalie Luis Lopez.
The Americans held the narrow lead until just before halftime. Zimmerman doubled the advantage in the 37th minute. Acosta took another free kick to spark that score.
His free kick, from the left side, curved into the box and bounced off several defenders.
Zimmerman collected the loose ball in the box and fired a point-blank shot into the right side of the net. The Americans took the 2-0 lead into the second half.
Pulisic entered the game as a 64th-minute substitute and scored just a few minutes later. Acosta also was involved in that score, as he fired in a corner kick from the right side in the 67th minute.
The feed flew into the box, where it found Zimmerman. The midfielder deflected the ball onto Pulisic, who finished the play with a grounded shot into the bottom left corner of the net.
"Our goal in this [schedule] window was to stay in second or to move into first place. It looks like we did that," Berhalter said. "I am happy as we move into the next window.
"We are in position and it's about closing it out in the next window."
The U.S. men face third-place Mexico in another World Cup qualifier March 24. The Americans also battle Panama and Costa Rica in final round qualifiers on March 27 and 30, respectively.
