For U.S. Team, a Week to Forget and a Ticking Clock

Illnesses, injuries and a suspension marred the start of World Cup qualifying for a talented U.S. team. A trip to Honduras offered a chance to right the ship.

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras — For even the most assured players and talented teams, a maiden journey into the heightened drama of the World Cup qualifying tournament in North and Central America can feel like splash of cold water to the face. Here, world rankings have a way of losing their meaning. Club pedigrees and players’ salaries can quickly be forgotten. It is a rude awakening, a rite of passage. And the United States men’s soccer team is experiencing it yet again. Beginning last week, the Americans embarked on a three-game series of qualifying matches over seven days that they hoped would establish a baseline state of confidence for the long path to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The last week has, instead, left them looking frazzled and unsure.