Christian Pulisic returns as US held to 1-1 qualifying draw vs Canada

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The remade U.S. shot squad rapidly got itself into occupation successful World Cup qualifying, wasting Brenden Aaronson’s second-half extremity erstwhile Cyle Larin scored to assistance Canada into a 1-1 gully Sunday night.

U.S. prima Christian Pulisic returned aft missing Thursday’s opening 0-0 gully astatine El Salvador portion regaining fittingness pursuing a affirmative COVID-19 test. Pulisic was dynamic and injected immoderate creativity the Americans lacked connected the road, contributing to the buildup starring to Aaronson’s extremity successful the 55th minute.

But defenders DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks were astatine responsibility for Larin’s extremity successful the 62nd, and the U.S. emerged from its opening 2 matches of the 14-game qualifying tourney with conscionable 2 points heading into Wednesday’s crippled astatine Honduras.

Miles Robinson came closest to a winner, heading Pulisic’s country footwear implicit the crossbar successful wounded time. An overhwelming pro-American assemblage of 43,023 astatine Nissan Stadium booed loudly astatine the last whistle.

Mexico (2-0) leads the North and Central American portion with six points, followed by Panama (1-0-1) with four, and the Canada (0-0-2) is 3rd with 2 points, up of the U.S. connected full goals, with El Salvador and Honduras further back. Costa Rica (0-1-1) and Jamaica (0-2) trail.

The apical 3 nations suffice for adjacent year’s tourney successful Qatar, and the fourth-place federation advances to a playoff.

The U.S. ended a streak of 7 consecutive World Cup appearances erstwhile it fell 1 constituent abbreviated of reaching the 2018 tournament. The superior origin of the nonaccomplishment was the nonaccomplishment of the Americans to triumph location qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica. Before that, the U.S. had not mislaid a location qualifier since 2001.

No. 59 Canada, which hosts El Salvador connected Wednesday, mislaid Davis to an wounded midway done the 2nd half. The Canadians person their champion squad successful decades and are trying to scope soccer’s showcase for the archetypal clip since 1986.

While Pulisic returned, the 10th-ranked U.S. was missing Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna. McKennie violated squad COVID-19 protocols, an contented that besides caused Juventus to driblet the 23-year-old midfielder for the Derby della Mole against Torino past April. Reyna strained his close hamstring and besides volition miss Wednesday’s game.

No. 1 goalkeeper Zack Steffen missed his 2nd consecutive match, this clip aft investigating affirmative for COVID-19 aft being sidelined for the opener by backmost spasms. He besides volition miss the Honduras trip.

Aaronson won a throw-in, and the U.S. made a bid of speedy passes arsenic good arsenic it has done. Jordan Prefok sent the shot to Pulisic and Tyler Adams, who gave it backmost to Prefok. He passed to Kellyn Acosta, who sent it wide to Antonee Robinson. He crossed successful front, and Aaronson poked the shot past goalkeeper Milan Borjan for the 20-year-old’s 4th planetary goal.

But sloppy defence led to Larin’s 20th planetary goal, his ninth of this qualifying cycle. Davies dribbled down the near flank and got by Yedlin, who replaced Dest successful the 45th minute. Davies crossed successful beforehand to an unfastened Larin, who got distant from Brooks and redirected the shot past goalkeeper Matt Turner.

Pulisic had the champion U.S. accidental successful the archetypal half, putting a changeable disconnected a station successful the 40th minute. Brooks passed to Sebastian Lletget, and helium dropped the shot backmost to Aaronson. Aaronson slotted the shot to Pulisic, who quick-timed a changeable from 7 yards.

Lletget enactment wide an unfastened volley from 16 yards. After a shaky opener, Dest astir outgo the U.S. by misplaying a agelong shot successful the 14th minute. That allowed Cyle Larin to interruption successful 2 connected 1 with Canadian commencement Alhonso Davies. Larin passed to Davies, but Turner managed to get his close manus connected the shot and deflect it wide.

With conscionable 2 days disconnected betwixt games nether the pandemic-altered schedule, U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter made six changes to his starting lineup.

In summation to Pulisic, newcomers included Brooks, near backmost Antonee Robinson, midfielders Acosta and Lletget, and Pefork up beforehand

Notes: Mexico won 1-0 astatine Costa Rica connected Orbelín Pineda’s punishment footwear successful first-half stoppage time. … Panama won 3-0 astatine Jamaica connected goals by Andrés Andrade successful the 14th, César Blackburn successful the 39th and Cecilio Waterman successful the 82nd. … El Salvador played its 2nd 0-0 draw, this clip against Honduras.