It was an important win in the CONCACAF region of World Cup qualifying, as they recovered from the weekend’s defeat away at leaders Canada to narrowly hold on to second spot in the table, ahead of their next opponents Mexico, with the top three guaranteed a place at Qatar 2022.

Following that fixture in Canada, it was decided to cut down on travelling time by playing this home fixture just across the border in Minnesota, but extreme weather in the region meant the game was played in freezing conditions, with the temperature dropping as low as -16°C by half-time.

That was announced as an official record as the coldest match in the USA’s history, with visitors Honduras protesting at the conditions, but it didn’t seem to bother the home team as they scored three times from set-pieces, all following Kellyn Acosta deliveries.

A bright start to the match saw Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie head the USA into an early lead after eight minutes and Walker Zimmerman added a second from close range before half-time to give them a comfortable advantage to match their dominance.

Pulisic was introduced from the bench in the 65th minute, but needed just two minutes to make his mark and put the three points beyond doubt for the home team. Another Acosta cross was headed dangerously across the face of goal by Ricardo Pepi and, following a ricochet off team-mate Zimmerman, Pulisic was on hand to fire a slick strike into the back of the net.

It was the Chelsea winger’s 18th international goal so far, taking him clear in ninth place on the USA’s list of all-time scorers. He was unlucky not to add another to his tally against Honduras too, after sliding the ball into the back of the net when a shot was cleared off the line, but it was disallowed for an offside earlier in the build-up.

That 3-0 win leaves the USA four points clear in the qualification places ahead of a tough finish, with away trips to Mexico and Costa Rica sandwiching a potentially decisive home game against fourth-placed Panama, with all three fixtures to be played in one week in March.