SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — The defense was a shambles. The midfield had little presence. The attack, such as it was, just spun and sputtered.

How bad was it? It is difficult to know where to start.

There was no fluidity from the United States national team here on Tuesday night against Costa Rica. No flow, no rhythm, no concentrated push, either early or late. There was no sturdiness or stoutness or resilience in a game that felt critical. There was no creativity.

Mostly, there were a lot of mistakes. And moments of confusion. And missed passes. There were also, understandably, a lot of goals, though all of them were for Costa Rica, as the Ticos — pounded by the United States earlier this year during the Copa América — shredded the Americans, 4-0, in a World Cup qualifying result that could reasonably be labeled the single worst performance during Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s tenure.