Columbus Crew midfielder Ethan Finlay (Marshfield) earned his first World Cup qualifying cap for the U.S. national team Tuesday, on a dominant night for the Americans on his team's home field – and he should have had a goal, too.
After coming on to the cheers of his hometown fans in the 71st minute, Finlay ran on to a ball from fellow sub Jozy Altidore and seemingly scored 14 minutes later, only to see the goal waved off after he was incorrectly ruled offside. (Watch below)
But the former FC Milwaukee attacker wasn't complaining after the U.S. finished off a 4-0 rout of Guatemala in what was essentially a must-win game in the fourth round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
"I wasn’t off," Finlay told the Columbus Dispatch. (Read full article) "But, hey, it’s all right. It's part of the game. It was a really special moment, one that I'll always remember."
It was the third cap for Finlay, who made his international debut in January. The only player with Wisconsin ties to have scored for the full U.S. national team is Tony Sanneh (UW-Milwaukee), who had three goals in 43 caps from 1997 to 2005.
Wisconsin's national team players
With the win, the U.S. (2-1-1) moved into second place in Group 3, behind Trinidad and Tobago (3-0-1). The top two teams from each of the three groups advance to the final round of qualifying, commonly referred to as the Hexagonal.
The Americans, who have qualified for every World Cup since 1990 after going 40 years between berths, close out the round Sept. 2 at St. Vincent and The Grenadines (0-4-0) and Sept. 6 against Trinidad and Tobago in Jacksonville, Fla.
On Twitter: @EthanFinlay13
Read more: Ethan Finlay lives dream that's off by just a little bit (MLSSoccer.com)
Tag(s): Home U.S. National Team International