ORLANDO — Christian Pulisic hugged his parents at the front of the stands, all three euphoric after his first international hat trick.
Out on the field, American players unfurled a red-and-blue banner with “QUALIFIED” in bold, white letters.
Not quite. But close.
“We know we’re not there yet, despite what that banner might have said,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter maintained Sunday night after a 5-1 rout of Panama.
Pulisic converted two penalty kicks during a four-goal burst in the first half that also saw Paul Arriola and Jesús Ferreira score, then boosted the lead to 5-0 on a memorable goal with two brilliant touches that evaded a pair of defenders.
With fans fretting after the Americans’ failure to reach the 2018 World Cup, the U.S. assumed a commanding position to qualify for the November tournament in Qatar.
Only a loss of six or more goals Wednesday night in the finale at Costa Rica would cause the Americans not to finish among the top three nations in North and Central America and the Caribbean and claim an automatic berth. They can finish no worse than fourth, which earns a June playoff, likely against New Zealand.
In October 2017, the U.S. defeated Panama 4-0 in Orlando and needed only a draw at Trinidad four days later but flopped to a 2-1 loss. Pulisic and Arriola were the only holdovers from that night.
“I’m not celebrating anything,” Arriola said. “I was in this exact position or very similar position four years ago, and we know how that qualification ended.”
Pulisic left the stadium without speaking with reporters, and the U.S. Soccer Federation distributed anodyne quotes under his name.
Berhalter gave him the captain’s armband over Tyler Adams.
“I think because of the journey,” Berhalter said “You have a guy that’s been there before. He was he was on the field when we didn’t qualify. And this was us saying to him, this is a new group, this is a new team and you’re a leader.”
Pulisic has 21 international goals, including 12 in World Cup qualifying. He scored in the 17th minute and fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, both after fouls by Aníbal Godoy, improving to 6-for-6 on penalty kicks in his U.S. career.
His 65th-minute goal was exquisite. After Luca de la Torre and Antonee Robinson twice exchanged passes, Robinson crossed. With his back to the goal, a spinning Pulisic took a touch with his left leg, spun around Fidel Escobar and dummied the ball through his own legs. Pulisic poked the ball with the outside of his right foot through the legs of Andrés Andrade and slotted over the a leg of sliding goalkeeper of Luis Mejía with his right foot from 8 yards.
Pulisic’s only previous hat trick was in the Premier League for Chelsea against Burnley in October 2019. The U.S. had not scored twice on penalty kicks in one match in the modern era.
His fire showed during a shoving confrontation with Michael Amir Murillo that earned him a yellow card in the 69th minute.
“His role involves making special plays and scoring some goals,” Berhalter said. “His defensive work rate is duels, his second balls, his challenges passing, dribbling, you name it, he did it tonight.”
Godoy scored Panama’s goal in the 86th with a header from Éric Davis’ free kick that beat Zack Steffen.
Canada has 28 points and clinched its first berth since 1986 with a 4-0 win over Jamaica, the U.S. is second with 25 points ahead of Mexico on goal difference and Costa Rica is fourth with 22 points.
While the U.S. has never won at Costa Rica, goal difference is the first tiebreaker, and the Americans are plus-13 to the Ticos’ plus-three. The U.S. also has the second tiebreaker of total goals, 21 to 11.
After reaching the World Cup for the first time in 2018, Panama was eliminated.
The U.S. scored four goals in the opening half of a qualifier for the first time since a 5-2 win over Cuba in 1949.
Salvadoran referee Iván Barton awarded the first penalty after a video review, concluding Godoy shoved Walker Zimmerman, his Nashville teammate, in the face.
Pulisic helped set up the second goal in the 23rd minute, running down a long ball from Zimmerman and dishing to Antonee Robinson, who crossed. Arriola, all of 5-foot-6, outjumped the 5-foot-11 Davis for his ninth international goal — just the second goal on a header in his professional career.
Fans who repeatedly denigrate Major League Soccer players in online forums have criticized Berhalter for selecting Arriola.
“There’s always going to be people that hate and that have their own opinions, and I just try and stay focused on myself,” a beaming Arriola said. “I know how valuable I am and how valuable I can be to this team.”
Ferreira made it 3-0 in the 29th minute with a 4-yard right foot shot that beat goalkeeper Luis Mejía goalkeeper. Ferreira’s third international goal capped a flowing buildup that involved Shaq Moore (four touches), Yunus Musah and Arriola (two touches each) and Luca de la Torre.
Moore was a late addition as the fourth-choice right back after Sergiño Dest hurt a thigh, DeAndre Yedlin was suspended for yellow-card accumuation and Reggie Cannon tested positive for COVID-19. About 20 members of the U.S. traveling party had gotten a stomach bug in Mexico.
Godoy’s second penalty was for shoving Miles Robinson. Luis Mejía dived left, and Pulisic went to the keeper’s upper right with the first kick. Mejía correctly guessed left on the second, but Pulisic’s drive was too hard and too close to the post for the keeper to reach. After his second goal, Pulisic celebrated with a a worm dance.
“I’d probably give him a five,” Arriola said with a smile. “I felt like he could have been a little more flexibile.”
Notes: Costa Rica won 2-1 at El Salvador on goals by Anthony Contreras on a bicycle kick in the 30th minute and Joel Campbell in the first minute of first-half stoppage time around Christian Gil’s score in the 31st. … Mexico won 1-0 at Honduras on Edson Álvarezs 70th-minute goal.
