The U.S. Ties Guatemala 1-1 in World Cup Qualifying

The U.S. Men’s National Team took on a Guatemala side in need of points at Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores. From the opening whistle there seemed to be an eerie calm cast over the stadium as the U.S. entered hoping for maximum points. That calm eventually
turned into elation for the Guatemalans as they held the Americans to a 1-1 draw. To put it briefly, it was a tale of two halfs.  The U.S. controlled most of the action in the first, while Guatemala came to life in the second.  Undoubtedly, some U.S. fans will see this as failed mission.  However, the daunting task of traveling to a Central American country is hardly an easy one.

The U.S came out in a 4-5-1 formation with the newly fit Fabian Johnson getting the start at left back despite an initial injury fear.  Meanwhile, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey led a five-man midfield hoping to cause Los Chapines early problems. The U.S. dictated the tempo during the first half hour.  They moved the ball from side to side and did its best to quiet the hostile crowd. TheYanks certainly did their job, however, the offense was non-existent other than several Donovan set pieces. As the half went on, the Guatemalans began to gain confidence as they challenged Tim Howard, the U.S. goalie, on several occasions. The momentum slowly shifted in favor of the home side until the 40^th minute when Dempsey cleverly got around two defenders and fired one past the keeper to give the Americans the lead.

The second half brought the Introduction of the Chicago Fire’s Marco Pappa to the Guatemalan line up in hope of turning the tide. Pappa did not disappoint.  He was all over the field, skillfully collecting the ball whenever opportunity arose.  He was a thorn in the side of Jurgen Klinsmann’s men. The U.S. had a difficult time adjusting to Pappa’s inclusion and found themselves weathering the storm.  The Americans created a few chances as the half progressed but little that was threatening.  They clearly looked to hang on for the narrow victory.  Unfortunately, a victory was denied in the 82^nd minute as Pappa elegantly bent a free kick past a frozen Tim Howard to send the home crowd into jubilation.  Guatemala pushed for a win in the final eight minutes, but the match eventually ended in a draw.   America’s first road test of the qualifying campaign

Despite a great effort from Dempsey, the U.S. is still struggling to dictate the tempo and press offensively.  Patience is certainly important in soccer and I understand Klinsmann’s approach on trying to exude that on the field. However, when you are in control and have quieted a hostile crowd, the gas pedal should be hit. Jurgen Klinsmann certainly has time during the upcoming months to evaluate what will get The Yanks firing come September for the next qualifying games.

By Mike Autrey