USMNT Player Ratings vs Trinidad & Tobago: Ricardo Pepi sparks flurry of goals as U.S. leaves it late

The U.S. needed every last minute to break down the Soca Warriors, but a trio of goals over the final 10 minutes saw the USMNT take the result.

If you felt a heavy gust of wind emanate from Q2 Stadium, it will have been from the collective exhale inside the venue. For 80 minute, the U.S. men's national team smashed their heads against a wall, failing to break down a 10-man Trinidad & Tobago. And, through those 80 minutes, it looked like the USMNT would be setting up a familiar scenario: a trip to T&T needing a result to qualify for a major tournament.

And thus, the exhale...three of them in fact. Unable to create much of anything, the U.S. blitzed the Soca Warriors for three goals in seven minutes, all but booking their place in the Copa America.

A first half red card to T&T's Noah Powder helped set the U.S. up, but it would take some time for the Americans to figure things out. The breakthrough didn't come until the 81st minute, when Ricardo Pepi flicked home an Antonee Robinson cross to take U.S. hands away from the panic button. Robinson scored a goal of his own five minutes later while Gio Reyna added another moments after that, giving the U.S. a 3-0 advantage heading to the second leg.

The scoreline will flatter the U.S. a bit, but they won't care. Job done, even if it was harded than it needed to be.

GOAL rates USMNT players from Q2 Stadium...