SAN DIEGO – Landon Donovan returned to the U.S. Men’s National team, scoring two record-setting goals and leading the USA’s Gold Cup team to a 6-0 victory over Guatemala in an international friendly.
In his first international match in more than 10 months, Landon Donovan made the most of his return by scoring his 50th and 51st career international goals. The game served as the team’s final tune-up before kicking off the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
In addition to Donovan’s penalty kick tally in the 55th minute and his 72nd-minute volley finish, Chris Wondolowski and Alejandro Bedoya each notched their first international goals. Herculez Gomez, who scored the first goal of the match, and Clarence Goodson also contributed scores during the rout, which featured five goals in the second half.
It was the USA’s most lopsided win since an 8-0 victory against Barbados on June 15, 2008. The U.S. extended its unbeaten streak against Guatemala to 20 games (14-0-6) and is 14-4-6 all-time against Guatemala. The U.S. begins Group C play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Belize on Tuesday, July 9, at JELD-WEN Field in Portland, Ore. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. PT, with a live broadcast on FOX Soccer.
The U.S. has won five straight matches for the first time since 2011-12, when the Americans capped off 2011 with a 3-2 win against Slovenia on Nov. 15, and then won the first four matches of 2012. The last time the U.S. won five straight in a calendar year was a six-game winning streak in 2008, with every match taking place in 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying.
Before the game, it was speculated that the lineup U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann would chose for the game with Guatemala would be his starting lineup against Belize.
. Additional notes:
- U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s starting lineup included five players making their first appearances of 2013.
- Landon Donovan earned his 145th career cap in his first action since the USA’s historic 1-0 victory against Mexico on Aug. 15, 2012, at Estadio Azteca.
- Goalkeeper Nick Rimando made his first start of 2013. His previous appearance came on Jan. 25, 2012, when he and Sean Johnson split duties en route to a 1-0 victory against Panama in Panama City.
- Rimando did not need to make a save en route to his second career shutout in his seventh career appearance.
- Defenders Oguchi Onyewu and Michael Parkhurst and midfielder Jose Torres also made their first starts and appearances this year.
- Onyewu earned his 67th career cap in his first match since his second-half substitution during the USA’s 3-1 win against Antigua Barbuda on June 8, 2012.
- Parkhurst, playing in his 16th career MNT game, saw the pitch for the first time since he started in the USA’s come-from-behind 3-1 victory against Guatemala on Oct. 16, 2012 at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.
- Torres appeared in his 21st game and first since the USA’s 1-0 victory against Jamaica on Sept. 11, 2012, in Columbus, Ohio.
- DaMarcus Beasley wore the captain’s armband on Friday and will maintain the captain’s role heading into the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. This was the second time Beasley started a game as captain and the first since Oct. 15, 2008, against Trinidad Tobago. Beasley has now appeared in 104 career matches, which ranks ninth on the all-time MNT list.
- Joe Corona made his first start for the senior team and collected his fifth career cap.
- Klinsmann made two substitutions to open the second half, bringing in Stuart Holden for Torres and Mix Diskerud for Kyle Beckerman. Holden made his 20th career appearance and third of 2013 while Diskerud made his first appearance of the year and the fourth overall in his young international career.
- The USA moved to 6-2-2 this year and 5-1-1 in U.S.-hosted games in 2013.
-U.S. Men’s National Team Match Report- Match:
U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Guatemala
Date: July 5, 2013
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Qualcomm Stadium; San Diego, Calif.
Kickoff: 8:23 p.m. PT
Attendance: 25,080
Weather: 67 degrees, clear
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 5 6
GUA 0 0 0
USA – Herculez Gomez (Jose Torres) 42nd minute
USA – Landon Donovan (penalty) 55
USA – Chris Wondolowski 71
USA – Landon Donovan (Stuart Holden) 72
USA – Clarence Goodson 84
USA – Alejandro Bedoya 88
Lineups:
USA: 1-Nick Rimando; 15-Michael Parkhurst, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 21-Clarence Goodson, 7-DaMarcus Beasley (capt.); 14-Kyle Beckerman (8-Mix Diskerud, 46), 16-Jose Torres (11-Stuart Holden, 46); 10-Landon Donovan (17-Will Bruin, 73), 6-Joe Corona (20-Alejandro Bedoya, 59), 2-Edgar Castillo (23-Brek Shea, 59); 9-Herculez Gomez (19-Chris Wondolowski, 59)
Substitutions Not Used: 4-Michael Orozco Fiscal, 12-Sean Johnson, 18-Jack McInerney
Head coach: Jurgen Klinsmann
GUA: 1-Ricardo Jerez; 2-Carlos Castrillo, 3-Enoc Vasquez, 13-Victor Hernandez (14-Luis Cardona, 59), 5-Carlos Gallardo (6-Milton Leal, 78); 24-Jonathan Lopez (17-Enrique Miranda, 76), 8-Sergio Trujillo (9-Wilber Perez, 59), 16-Jonathan Marquez, 22-Edward Santeliz; 18-Minor Lopez Campollo (19-Angelo Padilla 85), 10-Jose Contreras (capt.) (7-Marlon Sequen, 86)
Substitutions Not Used: 11-Kevin Arriola, 12-Victor Ayala
Head coach: Victor Monzón
Stats Summary: USA / GUA
Shots: 12 / 5
Shots on Goal: 11 / 0
Saves: 0 / 5
Corner Kicks: 6 / 1
Fouls: 12 / 13
Offside: 0 / 7
Misconduct Summary:
None
Officials:
Referee: Valdin Legister (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Kedlee Powell (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Richard Washington (JAM)
Fourth Official: Paul Ward (CAN)
Budweiser Man of the Match: Landon Donovan