Atlanta United supporters can be proud of their center back tonight.
A 2-0 loss to Costa Rica on Wednesday was a good enough result for the U.S. men's national team to get the job done and earn an automatic qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will take place later this year in Qatar.
It's the first time the U.S. has qualified for the World Cup since 2014.
Atlanta United defender Miles Robinson was in the starting XI for the U.S. against Costa Rica and played a full 90 minutes. Tonight was Robinson's 11th appearance in the starting XI during the World Cup qualifiers.
Robinson has played a big role in the central defense for the U.S. and created a strong pairing with Nashville SC defender Walker Zimmerman. With those two in the back, the U.S. has gone 5-0-1 and conceded just one goal in six matches.
The U.S. played Mexico to a 0-0 draw and beat Panama 5-1 during the March window, which put the Americans in position to qualify on Wednesday night. The U.S. entered the night needing a win, draw or loss by fewer than six goals against Costa Rica.
Costa Rica was a quality opponent and had home field advantage in the match tonight played at Estadio Nacional. The nation finishes in fourth place in the Concacaf table and will move on to compete against New Zealand in a playoff for a place in the World Cup.
Canada and Mexico are ahead of the U.S. in the standings and round out the three teams from Concacaf to earn automatic berths to Qatar. The U.S., Canada and Mexico host the next World Cup in 2026.
The Final Draw for the World Cup will be held on Friday, April 1.
Congratulations, Miles and the USMNT!
