Mexico urgently needed a win at home after losing previous qualifying matches in the United States, Honduras and El Salvador.
Also, Arena and midfielder Claudio Reyna will be serving suspensions for excessive protests after a previous qualifying match in Costa Rica.
Pulisic conjured another bit of wizardry in the United States' previous qualifying match, a crucial 1 1 draw against Panama.
That notwithstanding, a hat-trick in the previous qualifying round against Feyenoord confirms his well-being in Turkey.
Jourdain, whose best previous qualifying effort was third on the short oval in Nazareth, Pa., in 2001, covered the 1.968-mile 1.968-mileowntown street circuit in 1 minute 8.177 secondowntown streetof 103.918 miles an hour.
"We went through some tough games; 9-2-6 is a great year," said Arena, who was suspended with the playmaker Claudio Reyna for vehemently protesting after a previous qualifying match in Costa Rica.
In the previous qualifying series Cameroon missed out on the 2006 finals when, with the likes of Samuel Eto'o failing to step forward, Pierre Womé put a last-minute penalty wide enabling Ivory Coast to qualify at the expense of the Indomitable Lions.
And despite growing impatient and frantic at times, the United States, having gone 0-1-4 in five previous qualifying matches here, showed the suppleness and hardiness to rebound in the closing minutes.
The Republic of Ireland will take a bold step towards the finals in South Africa next summer if they can avoid defeat in Sofia and Trapattoni, the manager, appeared ready to reward Hunt for his performance in the previous qualifying tie against Italy.
Watson, who beat Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in the previous qualifying round, will meet Russia's Elena Vesnina in round one at Roland Garros.
