World Cup Qualifiers: U.S. Beats Honduras Under Frigid Minnesota Weather, Inching Closer to Qatar 2022

Despite frigid temperatures at 3 degrees with a minus-14 windchill in Minnesota, the U.S. men's national soccer team (USMNT) still beat Honduras 3-0 on Wednesday, moving a step closer to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Americans got off to a strong start, with a Weston McKennie set-piece header in the eighth minute, as he headed home a ball from Tyler Adams' replacement, Kellyn Acosta, and just before halftime, McKennie puts the game out of reach.

Defender Walker Zimmerman doubled the score before the break as the USMNT earned three points without Tyler Adams and Chris Richards due to injuries.

Star winger Christian Pulisic, who had been out of form, did not start the match but came on as a second-half substitute and quickly scored a goal that helped the team increase its goal difference, which could be crucial if the Americans are tied in the standings.

Coach Gregg Berhalter's team scored all three goals from set-pieces, and they remained in second place in the CONCACAF qualifying table.

The United States now has 21 points, and an automatic playoff spot to the 2022 World Cup is very much within grasp in the final three matches in March.

Two of those games will be road trips to Mexico and Costa Rica, followed by a home game against Panama, which could be the clincher or a World Cup qualifying celebration.

Coldest World Cup Qualifier

Some players from Honduras were taken off the game because of the extreme cold, showing the dangers of playing in frigid weather conditions.

At halftime, Honduras made three substitutions, and one of them was Buba Lopez, their starting goalkeeper, CBS Sports reported.

Due to below zero wind chill and single-digit temperatures during the match, Lopez was treated for hypothermia with an IV, according to sportscaster Nico Cantor. Romell Quioto also left the match at halftime due to cold-related complications but was stable after the game.

Honduras received head coverings and heated benches from U.S. Soccer. However, the opponents were not as well prepared as the U.S. national team, which the Minnesota Vikings outfitted.

Because they lost, Honduras was eliminated heading into the match, being in last place in the qualifying table.

Under the U.S. Soccer Federation's cold weather guidelines, the area fell into the black zone, dubbed "extreme conditions," and the federation recommends: "cancel or attempt to move activities indoors. Frostbite could occur."

Berhalter, who helped choose the site, was asked about it after the game that was the coldest World Cup Qualifier ever played by the United States.

Berhalter said the shortened travel during the three-game FIFA window and ensuring a pro-U.S. crowd were the primary factors. He has repeatedly stated that the weather did not present an obstacle, and his players should embrace the conditions.

FIFA Has No Response or Comment

FIFA has yet to comment regarding the matter. When asked about the location following the release of the advance forecast, FIFA said on January 20 that their priority is the "safety and security of all individuals involved in football," and the FIFA World Cup qualifiers are no exception.

In September, Nicholas Noble, spokesman for CONCACAF, the governing body of North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean, said: "World Cup qualifiers is a FIFA competition."

Noble added that CONCACAF does not manage or run these matches, but "FIFA does, along with the individual federations."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: U.S. Men's National Team Beats Honduras 3-0 in Frigid St. Paul Game - From FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul