Pulisic 1st hat trick leads US to 5-1 win, World Cup brink
By RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — 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. 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 this November’s tournament in Qatar.