The United States men’s national team is headed back to the World Cup for the first time since 2014.
After disappointment struck four years ago, the USMNT exorcised its demons from 2018 and qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Wednesday evening despite a 2–0 defeat against Costa Rica.
The USMNT came into Wednesday’s match nearly assured of a spot in this year’s tournament field after trouncing Panama 5–1 on Sunday. Although the result against Panama solidified the U.S’s three-point lead and plus-10 goal differential over Costa Rica in the Concacaf table, the team could have been sent to an international playoff if it lost by six goals or more on Wednesday.