COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When the United States men's national team went into halftime with El Salvador on Thursday without a goal, any feeling of anxiousness that might have crept into the home locker room would have been understandable. With a World Cup berth not yet secured, anything other than a win would have been considered a massive disappointment.
For this USMNT team, though, it was a familiar and, maybe, an even comfortable position. The team has struggled in the first half throughout qualifying -- it has just two first-half goals in nine games -- but has routinely found ways to strike back in the second half.