COLUMBUS, Ohio — By halftime of the U.S. national soccer team’s World Cup qualifier Thursday, a cold night felt that much chillier. The Americans were locked in a scoreless game against an opponent that was supposed to be paralyzed by the frosty conditions.
With the qualifying schedule entering the late stages and a trip to Qatar in the balance over the next two months, anything other than victory in Columbus would not sit well with Coach Gregg Berhalter or a fan base famished to return to the sport’s quadrennial spectacle after missing out in 2018.
Early in the second half, the goal — and the relief that accompanied it — came off the left foot of Antonee Robinson.