(Reuters) – The United States scraped a 1-0 win over El Salvador in their World Cup qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday as freezing temperatures tested both teams.
U.S. defender Antonee Robinson broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, driving the ball home from close range after forward Jesus Ferreira headed to him.
Robinson then launched a celebratory backflip to the delight of a roaring home crowd.
El Salvador, second bottom of the eight-team group, made a flurry of substitutions late in the second half but were unable to wrest back the momentum amid temperatures hovering around 31 degrees Fahrenheit (-0.56°C).
It was not the dominant performance the United States had hoped for ahead of Sunday’s match against Canada in Hamilton after Jamaica held them to a draw in their previous qualifier.
The United States top the standings on 18 points, a point ahead of Mexico, who defeated Jamaica 2-1.
Canada, on 16 points, are playing Honduras on Thursday.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
