USA vs. Trinidad and Tobago: Score, Reaction from World Cup 2018 Qualifier

The United States men's national team was in line to advance to the final stage of 2018 World Cup qualifying regardless of Tuesday night's result, but the Stars and Stripes captured a resounding 4-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, to finish atop Group C.

The triumph ensured the United States will host Mexico when hexagonal qualifying begins in November.

Here's a look at the final standings from Group C after the fourth round of CONCACAF qualifying:

Place	Country	W	D	L	+/-	Points
1	United States	4	1	1	17	13
2	Trinidad and Tobago	3	2	1	4	11
3	Guatemala	3	1	2	7	10
4	St. Vincent and the Grenadines	0	0	6	-28	0

The Soca Warriors didn't have much to play for besides pride since they secured a spot in the hex after nabbing three wins and two draws in their first five qualifiers, but they still provided the U.S. a stiff test.

Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann's side was without Clint Dempsey (irregular heartbeat), Jermaine Jones (knee), Matt Besler (paternity leave) and DeAndre Yedlin (yellow card accumulation), and those absences threatened to deprive the Red, White and Blue of continuity on the back line and in the midfield.

But despite those concerns, the U.S. appeared sound and steady early—especially in the offensive third, where Christian Pulisic, Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood combined to provide a flurry of attacking runs throughout the first half.

One of those jaunts came when Altidore crossed the ball to Pulisic, but the 17-year-old's shot clanged off both posts and failed to cross the goal line, as Fox Soccer documented on Twitter:

Just minutes later, however, the U.S. responded when the ball fell to Sacha Kljestan's foot and he slotted home his second goal in as many games, per Fox Soccer:

To put that tally in perspective, Kljestan scored four goals in his first 46 appearances with the national team, per ESPN Stats and Info's Paul Carr.

Soccer America's Paul Kennedy also took note of Kljestan's outburst:

The Americans continued to apply pressure throughout the opening stages of the second half, and Pulisic's deep, aggressive and controlled runs helped stretch the field for his teammates up front.

In the 59th minute, Pulisic drew the attention of the Trinidadian defense and freed up the field for Altidore to cram home a goal that doubled the lead, as Kennedy observed:

According to Carr, Altidore's 15th score in qualifying moved him past Dempsey for the most in team history.

Less than four minutes later, Altidore added to his historic total with a sliding finish inside the box following a silky smooth feed from Pulisic.

More than anything, Tuesday night was a refreshing, confidence-building effort for Klinsmann and Co.

Not only was the United States in fine form without several key starters, but Pulisic continued to justify the hype surrounding his wunderkind status as he shouldered the primary playmaking duties in transition and distributed the ball brilliantly to crack Trinidad and Tobago's defense.

Earlier Tuesday, Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl reported U.S. and Mexico would meet in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 11 if the Stars and Stripes won Group C. That's significant because the Americans are 4-0 all-time against El Tri in Columbus, per Wahl.

And if Pulisic remains a featured component of the American attack when hexagonal play opens, the U.S. will have a chance to prove it's evolving as World Cup qualifying nears its conclusion.

Postgame Reaction

"First in the group," Klinsmann said, according to the team's Twitter account. "Our goal achieved. We're now looking forward to an exciting November game."

Altidore heaped praise on Pulisic.

"Seventeen years old and he has a calmness when he gets the ball," he said, per the Associated Press' Mark Long. "He can glide by people almost effortlessly. The challenge for him is to stay hungry and keep improving, and for you guys to leave him alone. He doesn't need to be reading about himself too much right now. He just needs to keep his head and keep working."

Altidore was also impressed with the team's general shape and form.

"We were flowing," he said, according to Long. "It was good. Guys were moving and creating space and being crafty. When we're like that, we're on our game and we're at our most dangerous."

Looking ahead, Klinsmann sounded excited about the prospect of squaring off against Mexico on home turf.

"It's a huge opportunity to start the hexagonal with these two matches and send a signal," he said, per the USMNT's Twitter account.