COLUMBUS, Ohio — Like a car starting in the dead of winter, the U.S. men’s national team took a while to warm up on a crisp Columbus evening.
It wasn’t as frigid as many feared. Coach Gregg Berhalter even called the atmosphere “optimal.” But it was cold. Although afternoon snow flurries had subsided by the time Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against El Salvador kicked off at Lower.com Field, the wind chill was 25 degrees. Those aren’t ideal soccer conditions, but it’s what the Americans expected and embraced when selecting cold-weather venues for two home dates during this critical qualifying window.