Lose On Road, Win In Columbus Crew Stadium
For four days, the U.S. Men’s National Team faced the unthinkable. Another loss in the CONCACAF semifinal round of World Cup 2014 qualifying, and the Americans might not get through to the next round. They would be eliminated!
That had been setup by a 2-1 road loss to Jamaica. Jamaica was the strongest opponent in the USA’s group, but the Americans had never lost to the Reggae Boyz in 18 internationals. At least not until now.
And they did it with two unanswered goals in Kingston, after Clint Dempsey gave the U.S. an early 1-0 lead just 36 seconds into the game.
This time the game was in Columbus, OH, where the U.S. has never lost a World Cup qualifier. This time, the U.S. team came out with great resolve, and battered the crossbar and posts with shots, but by halftime had nothing to show for it.
Then in the 55th minute Jamaica committed a foul right outside of the top of the penalty box, and Hercules Gomez fired a free kick past the wall of defenders into the upper right corner of the goal. Like a strong March breeze in the middle of September, the Columbus Crew Stadium pro-USA crowd of 23,881 let out a sigh of relief.
The win allowed Jurgen Klinsmann’s team to jump from third in the four-team group standings, into a tie for first with Guatemala, with whom the U.S. tied 1-1 in it’s second qualifying game. A meeting between the U.S. and Guatemala in Kansas City on October 18, will break the deadlock at the top of the group.
Despite getting great results this year on the road in international friendly victories in Italy and Mexico City, this game with Jamaica was critical for the tenure of Klinsmann as the U.S. coach.
He faced the two-game series without some of his regular starters, including Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley, both sidelined with injuries. He made five lineup changes for the second game, including moving German-American Danny Williams to holding midfield. He also started former Maryland star Graham Zusi at midfield along with Jose Torres in support of Gomez, and put Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundolo back into the starting lineup after they missed the opening game.
For the most part, the combinations clicked. In the first half the U.S. had most of the possession and outshot the Jamaicans 8-0.
“We try to tell players to not waste time and not waste points,” said Klinsmann as he spoke about the importance of the win in Columbus. “We wasted points in Jamaica. It was really important they understand to get down to business tonight and they responded well. Our task is really to give them the right perspective in the couple of days knowing that tomorrow they’re going to be all gone again.”
One player who has earned his way onto the field is Gomez, who scored his second World Cup qualifying and fifth career international goal.
“You talk about hunger, he’s a role model,” said Klinsmann. “In every training session, he gives you what he gave tonight. If you tell him at 2 a.m. to go out and bend the ball around, he’s there. We need that.
“He has that determination that he wants to score so badly. This is something we need to develop even more in our team — that hunger to succeed and that hunger to score, but also that willingness to suffer. We are very happy to have him with us.”
Gomez felt the team was ready to respond after the loss in Jamaica, and spoke after the game about the resolve to rebound with a win.
“I think that energy was transmitted to us throughout the week,” he said. “We knew how important they (Klinsmann and staff) thought it was.
“We have a lot of experience on this team. I don’t think anybody here took Jamaica for granted. We knew what we were getting into. We weren’t pleased with our performance on Friday and because we weren’t pleased with that performance we were all really excited and chomping at the bit to get at them tonight.”
The U.S. team, playing on September 11, was lifted on the field by the enthusiasm and support from the people in the stands on that special day. A polar opposite for the Americans days before in Jamaica.
“The crowd was great,” said Dempsey, “and they really got behind us. We draw strength from each other in tough times and that was something everybody will remember on that day (Sept. 11, 2001).
“They (the crowd in Columbus) really got behind us tonight and showed their patriotism. It was one of the best atmospheres I’ve played in with the National Team here in the States.”
The game in Columbus marked a milestone for Bocanegra, the U.S. team captain, as he picked up his 107th career international cap, moving him ahead of Eric Wynalda into seventh place on the all-time appearance list.
The U.S. improved to 7-2-2 this year. The U.S. can nos wrap up a berth with a win over Guatemala in the Americans’ last home game, and finish first in the group by sweeping the last two games.
Next up for the U.S. is an Oct. 12 game against Antigua & Barbuda, followed by the game with Guatemala four days later.
U.S. Men’s Roster vs. Jamaica
Goalkeepers (4): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake). Defenders (9): Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Maurice Edu (Stoke City), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City). Midfielders (7): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City). Forwards (4):Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Herculez Gomez (Santos)
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