Matt Besler celebrated the birth of his baby girl in style.
The Sporting Kansas City defender scored his first international goal on Friday as the United States Men’s National Team defeated St. Vincent and the Grenadines 6-0 at Arnos Vale Stadium in Kingstown, moving a step closer to CONCACAF’s Hexagonal round of FIFA World Cup qualifying.
The Americans can seal a top-two finish in Group C of CONCACAF’s semifinal qualifying round on Tuesday when they host Trinidad and Tobago at EverBank Field in Jacksonville (7 p.m. CT, FS1 & UniMas). A win would see the U.S. top the group, while a draw would secure a second-place finish behind Trinidad and Tobago.
WCQ: CONCACAF SEMIFINAL ROUND GROUP C STANDINGS
<strong>Team</strong> |
<strong>W</strong> |
<strong>L</strong> |
<strong>T</strong> |
<strong>PTS</strong> |
<strong>GF</strong> |
<strong>GA</strong> |
<strong>GD</strong> |
1. Trinidad and Tobago |
3 |
0 |
2 |
11 |
13 |
5 |
+8 |
2. United States |
3 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
16 |
3 |
+13 |
3. Guatemala |
2 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
9 |
8 |
+1 |
4. St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
0 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
25 |
-22 |
Donning U.S. colors on the day his daughter Parker Rhea was born in Overland Park, Kansas, Besler hammered home from close range in the 32nd minute of a comprehensive road victory in Group C. The defender started and played 90 minutes alongside club teammate Graham Zusi, who manned the right side of midfield in head coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s 4-4-2 setup.
Bobby Wood fired the U.S. in front on 28 minutes, curling a brilliant 20-yard strike into the far right corner after Jozy Altidore and Fabian Johnson combined on the edge of the box.
Besler’s big moment came four minutes later when Zusi delivered an in-swinging free kick into a crowded penalty area. A defensive header fell neatly to Besler, who thumped a left-footed volley just inside the near post to double his side’s lead. Altidore added a third from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute after Wood was chopped down near St. Vincent’s goalmouth.
New York Red Bulls midfielder Sacha Kljestan marked his return to the national side after a two-year absence with a goal and two assists in the second half. He set up 17-year-old Christian Pulisic for a simple finish in the 71st minute before the duo reversed roles in the 78th. The rout was complete in the 92nd minute when Pulisic — who became the youngest American to score in a World Cup qualifier — settled a pass from Kljestan and found the back of the net from 18 yards.
Sporting Kansas City was the only club to feature two players in Friday’s starting lineup. Besler’s first goal came in his 36th international appearance, while Zusi earned his 41st cap.
The Hexagonal will consist of six CONCACAF nations competing in the region’s final stage of World Cup qualifying. The teams will play in a home-and-away, double round-robin format between November 2016 and October 2017, with the top three teams punching their ticket to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The fourth-place finisher will enter a one-game playoff against an Asian nation with a World cup spot on the line.
