ANTONEE ROBINSON

After losing to the US, Team Melli returns home to a hostile population and a vengeful regime.

Lost in the tenseness of the United States' 1-0 win over Iran Tuesday is what happened in the moments after the final whistle sounded. Antonee Robinson consoled fellow defensemen Abolfazl Jalali and Ramin Rezaeian, while Josh Sargent, DeAndre Yedlin and Timothy Weah knelt with Saeid Ezatolahi immediately after the game ended. "I just wanted to spread peace and love and show him we come from different backgrounds, we grew up differently. Iran also reportedly threatened the families of those players as well if they didn't "behave" against the U.S., according to CNN. But when the game ended, the players just wanted to share a bit of humanity with each other.

This is the first time in eight years that the USMNT made it through the World Cup's knockout round and will appear in the Round of 16.

But Antonee Robinson said “the officiating was terrible,” and he had one specific gripe that, he felt, “cost us the game.”He told the assistant referee that, too. As nine U.S. players walked sullenly back to the center circle after Gareth Bale’s penalty, Robinson stalked toward the corner, incensed. Berhalter: "I mean, I'm on the sideline, looking down the sideline, and I'm sure the ball went out of bounds. “I mean, I'm on the sideline, looking down the sideline, and I'm sure the ball went out of bounds. “We were soaking up the pressure, and some could say [the goal] was coming,” Robinson admitted.

With a few key players still not 100%, Gregg Berhalter might have to make tough calls with his starting lineup vs. Wales. Here's who our soccer experts think will be in the first XI.

Antonee Robinson will man the left side for the USMNT at the World Cup, Laken Litman writes.

Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi will join the U.S. starting lineup for the Americans’ last World Cup warmup against Saudi Arabia after coach Gregg Berhalter admitted “we got our butts kicked” by Japan last week.

Gregg Berhalter’s U.S. roster as the World Cup approaches is as notable for its absences as for those set to play in Friday’s warmup against Japan at Düsseldorf, Germany.

NEW YORK — (AP) — Josh Sargent is back on the U.S. roster for the first time in a year, picked at forward along with Ricardo Pepi and Jesús Ferreira for the Americans’ final two World Cup warmup matches. Berhalter plans to announce his 26-man World Cup roster on Nov. 9, 12 days before the Americans’ opener at the tournament in Qatar. Back in the World Cup after missing the 2018 tournament, the U.S. opens against 20th-ranked Wales on Nov. 21, plays No. 5 England in a Black Friday matchup four days later and closes group play on Nov. 29 against 21st-ranked Iran. Berhalter’s roster will average 24 years, 201 days as of the start of training on Monday.

Josh Sargent is back on the U.S. roster for the first time in a year, picked at forward along with Ricardo Pepi and Jesús Ferreira for the Americans’ final two World Cup warmup matches.

The World Cup roster will be unveiled on Nov. 9. Full USMNT roster for September campBerhalter called in 26 players in total. He is the undisputed starting left back, and his World Cup status is not in question. He spearheaded a comeback in Honduras and a win over Jamaica to steady a wobbling World Cup qualifying campaign. He recently moved to Groningen in the Netherlands on loan, seemingly in an attempt to revive his World Cup hopes.

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter did not have forward Christian Pulisic and midfielder Tyler Adams dress for a World Cup warmup against 170th-ranked Grenada in the CONCACAF Nations League.

Bayern Munich midfielder Malik Tillman is switching affiliation from Germany to the United States and is among 27 players invited to the Americans’ next-to-last training camp ahead of the World Cup.

Costa Rica US Wcup Soccer View of the National stadium at sunset ahead of a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 between Costa Rica and United States, in San Jose, Costa Rica, Tuesday, March 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) (Moises Castillo)SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — (AP) — Ricardo Pepi, Kellyn Acosta, Tim Weah and DeAndre Yedlin returned to the starting lineup as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter made four changes for Wednesday night’s final World Cup qualifier at Costa Rica. With the U.S. in position to clinch a World Cup return as long as the Americans did not lose by six goals or more, Berhalter replaced Jesús Ferreira with Pepi and Luca de La Torre with Acosta. Pulisic, Yedlin and Acosta were the only holdovers from the 2-1 loss at Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 10, 2017 that ended the Americans' streak of seven straight World Cup appearances. Costa Rica was fourth with 22.

Ricardo Pepi, Kellyn Acosta, Tim Weah and DeAndre Yedlin returned to the starting lineup as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter made four changes for the Americans' final World Cup qualifier at Costa Rica.

Christian Pulisic scored his first international hat trick, leading the United States to the brink of returning to the World Cup with a 5-1 rout of Panama.

Christian Pulisic scored his first international hat trick, leading the United States to the brink of returning to the World Cup with a 5-1 rout of Panama.

Christian Pulisic scored his first international hat trick, leading the United States to the brink of returning to the World Cup with a 5-1 rout of Panama on Sunday night. Pulisic converted two penalty kicks during a four-goal burst in the first half that also saw Paul Arriola and Jesús Ferreira score, then boosted the lead to 5-0 on memorable goal with two brilliant touches that evaded a pair of defenders. With fans still fretting after the Americans' failure to reach the 2018 World Cup, the U.S. assumed a commanding position to qualify for the November tournament in Qatar.

Forward Jesús Ferreira, winger Paul Arriola, midfielder Luca de la Torre and right back Shaq Moore entered the United States’ starting lineup for a World Cup qualifier against Panama as coach Gregg Berhalter made four changes.

Zack Steffen was in goal as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter used an “A” team lineup and changed five starters for a World Cup qualifier against Mexico at Estadio Azteca.

Gio Reyna, Jordan Pefok and Ethan Horvath are back for the United States’ final World Cup qualifiers but Sergiño Dest appears likely to miss the three games.

That was McKennie’s ninth international goal, his second in World Cup qualifying, and it would prove to be enough. The ball glanced off Zimmerman’s left leg, and he kicked it in with his right from 5 yards for his third international goal. Pulisic scored about three minutes after entering. He scored from near the penalty spot with his second touch of the game — his 18th international goal. Notes: Costa Rica won 1-0 at Jamaica as Joel Campbell scored his 22nd international goal in the 62nd minute.

Christian Pulisic was benched as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter changed seven starters for a World Cup qualifier against Honduras in chilly St. Paul, where the temperature at kickoff was 3 degrees (minus-16 Celsius) with a minus-14 windchill.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (Julio Cortez)COLUMBUS, Ohio — (AP) — Midfielders and defenders are providing the goals the United States needs to reach the World Cup — by a wide margin. Three of the Americans’ 13 goals in the first nine qualifiers have come from outside defenders, with left back Antonee Robinson scoring his second in Thursday night’s arduous 1-0 win over El Salvador. Right back Sergiño Dest had the tying goal in the 2-1 victory over Costa Rica last week on the same Lower.com field. They are a big part of how we play, especially when we’re dropping our midfielders lower.”With qualifying at nearly the two-thirds point going into Sunday’s match at Canada, seven goals have been produced by midfielders. Canada leads North and Central America and the Caribbean with 19 points, followed by the U.S. (18), Mexico (17), Panama (14) and Costa Rica (12), with Jamaica (seven), El Salvador (six) and Honduras (three) lagging.

Midfielders and defenders are the players providing the goals the United States needs to reach the World Cup.

WCup El Salvador US Soccer United States' Antonee Robinson (5) celebrates his goal with Weston McKennie (8) and Chris Richards (15) during the second half of a FIFA World Cup qualifying soccer match against El Salvador, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. El Salvador is left with six and has virtually no chance to reach this year’s tournament in Qatar. The U.S. Soccer Federation scheduled the match in a cold climate to minimize travel and put the chill on El Salvador, which went to a sporting goods store to purchase additional winter gear. The Americans’ 15th straight home win over El Salvador since 1989 didn’t come easily. They outshot El Salvador 8-3 in the first half but put none on target.

Antonee Robinson broke through the freeze in the air and the U.S. offense, scoring in the 52nd minute to lift the United States over El Salvador 1-0 and kept the Americans on track for a return to the World Cup.

Jordan Morris, Tim Weah, Sergiño Dest and Gyasi Zardes returned from injuries to make the U.S. roster ahead of the next three World Cup qualifiers.

The newest player on the U.S. men's national soccer team feels like he fits right in.

WCup Jamaica US Soccer United States' Brenden Aaronson celebrates after the United States scored against Jamaica during a FIFA World Cup qualifying soccer match Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Eric Gay)COLUMBUS, Ohio — (AP) — The U.S. soccer team has a Jekyll and Hyde personality that makes it difficult to determine which will show for Wednesday night’s World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica. A portion of the fan base nervous and skeptical following the failure to reach the 2018 World Cup hyperventilates at DEFCON1 in response to any hiccup. Canada follows with seven and Costa Rica six after rallying for a 2-1 win at home over El Salvador. 44-ranked Costa Rica has qualified for four of the last five World Cups, missing on 2010.

The U.S. soccer team has a Jekyll and Hyde personality that makes it difficult to determine which will show for a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica in Columbus, Ohio.

Aníbal Godoy scored in the 54th minute and Panama upended the United States 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier when American coach Gregg Berhalter started a largely second-string lineup in the middle of another hectic stretch of three matches in seven days.

The British government is keeping Panama on its red list, which means the United States may have to play without star Christian Pulisic and several other players for its World Cup qualifier at the Central American nation on Oct. 10.

Given a wake-up call by coach Gregg Berhalter, they responded in a way few U.S. teams have. The Americans won a World Cup qualifier for just the second time in 41 matches they trailed at halftime. But 16 players made their World Cup qualifying debuts in the past week, their first taste of qualifiers on bumpy fields in humidity with horns blaring and supporters screaming. Both the El Salvador and the Honduras game is — they are wars. You have teams and countries that are desperate to get wins, to get in the World Cup, and it’s a different animal than we were used to."

Panicking American soccer fans were soothed when the U.S. rallied from a halftime deficit to win 4-1 at Honduras in World Cup qualifying.

Ricardo Pepi put the U.S. ahead in the 75th minute, Brenden Aaronson and Sebastian Lletget added late goals and the U.S. rolled past Honduras 4-1 Wednesday night. Still, Brayan Moya put 63rd-ranked Honduras ahead in the 27th minute, breaking free of George Bello and heading a cross from Diego Rodríguez past goalkeeper Matt Turner after John Brooks lost the ball. Pepi made a backheel drop in the 6-yard box to Robinson, who scored with a right-footed volley from 8 yards. The U.S. scored four goals in a qualifier in Central America for the first time. Panama has five points and trails on goals, while Costa Rica and Honduras have two points apiece and Jamaica none.

Honduras US Wcup Soccer United States' Ricardo Pepi, left, celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Honduras during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021. Robinson scored in the 48th minute and Pepi, starting in his international debut, in the 75th. Aaronson, who scored his first goal in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Canada, added his goal on a counter off a feed from Pepi. “Maybe we thought it was going to be easier than it was going down to El Salvador, Honduras. Notes: Canada beat visiting El Salvador 3-0 on goals by Atiba Hutchison, Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan.

Antonee Robinson and Ricardo Pepi scored their first international goals after a halftime change in formation, Brenden Aaronson and Sebastian Lletget added late goals and the United States revived its World Cup qualifying campaign with a 4-1 win over Honduras.

United States' Sebastian Soto reacts at the end of a Concacaf Men's Olympic qualifying championship semi-final soccer match against Honduras in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sunday, March 28, 2021. Lalas maintains the burden to improve the Olympic effort lies with Kreis, senior national team coach Gregg Berhalter and U.S. men’s national team general manager Brian McBride. FIFA regulations say clubs don’t have to release players for Olympic qualifying or the Olympics. FIFA restricts Olympic qualifying to players 23 and under. AdNone of Honduras’ players on the roster for last week’s national team exhibition against Greece were Olympic age eligible.

(Laurence Griffiths/Pool via AP)CHICAGO – Defender Bryan Reynolds received his first call-up to the U.S. national team after the 19-year-old made his debut for Roma last weekend. Chituru Odunze, an 18-year-old goalkeeper with Leicester, also could debut in exhibitions against Jamaica on March 25 at Wiener Neustadt, Austria, or three days later at Northern Ireland. Forward Matthew Hoppe, who has scored five goals for Schalke this season, was not called in for a possible debut. Germany), Luca de la Torre (Heracles, Netherlands), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Yunus Musah (Valencia, Spain), Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton, England). Forwards: Daryl Dike (Barnsley, England), Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen, France), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea, England), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen, Germany), Tim Weah (Lille, France).