In their second match of the 2009 Gold Cup, the U.S. defeated Honduras 2-0 in front of 29,000 fans at RFK Stadium. Both the U.S. and Honduras came into this match looking to clinch a spot in the next round. After coming off a 4-0 victory over Grenada, the U.S. was looking to prove they could play at the same level against a stronger opponent.
Bob Bradley made a few changes to the the roster from the game played against Grenada. His best move was allowing Santino Quaranta to get a shot at the international level. Adding Ching to the roster also proved to be a great move by Bradley, but besides the late goal Ching seemed lost most of the night.
The match started with both teams getting into each others boxes but neither could manage to get a great opportunity at goal. With his incredible pace on the ball, Robbie Rogers again proved why he should be considered for the qualifying games in August.
The first real chance of the game came in the 22nd minute when Ching fought hard inside the Honduran box to beat his defender. He tried to flick it past the Honduran goalkeeper, but the ball went just wide of the goal. The play didn’t result in a goal, but it was a nice look by Kyle Beckerman to find Ching at the top of the box.
In the 30th minute Honduras found a gap in the U.S. defense when a long through ball found Martinez who had beat the entire defense. The Honduran had acres of space but sent his attempt at goal off the side netting. Honduras definitely missed a golden opportunity to get on top when Martinez missed the fast break.
The U.S. then missed a great chance in the 33rd minute when Freddy Adu found himself wide open in front of goal, but sent his header right to the Honduran goalkeeper. It was a great ball served right to Adu’s head with no pressure on him. If Adu wants to impress the coaching staff he has to finish these opportunities.
Both squads had a couple of decent chances at goal throughout the rest of the half, but neither team could break the 0-0 deadlock.
The second half started slowly with neither team wanting to make a mistake, but within ten minutes the U.S. had set the pace for the remainder of the match. It was only a matter of time before we saw the ball hit the back of the net.
Bob Bradley made the perfect coaching move in the 64th minute when he brought in Benny Feilhaber and Charlie Davies off the bench. Freddy Adu took a seat after being a non-factor in the midfield for the U.S. Overall it was not a great performance by Adu.
In the 73rd minute the USA found the back of the net off a great finish from Santino Quaranta. It was excellent combination play by the Americans. Feilhaber played a great ball to Davies at the top of the box. Davies then made a quick touch to his right where a streaking Quaranta blasted the shot home. Truly a great goal by the USA!
Brian Ching put the nail in the coffin in the 79th minute with a header that deflected off the Honduran defender before beating the helpless goalkeeper. Steve Cherundolo played a great match at right back. He also assisted the second goal with a perfectly bent ball to the back post.
It was a great win tonight for the USA against a Honduran squad that looked like they had something to prove. The U.S. showed us that they are capable of playing great soccer at times. The Livethepitch.com man of the match goes to Santino Quaranta. Other players that played well were Rogers, Beckerman, and Cherundolo.
Spain defeated Chile 2-1 to win Group H as Switzerland tied Honduras 0-0. Spain finished on top of the group and avoided Brazil with 6 points and a +2 goal differential. Chile also finished with 6 points but with a goal differential of only +1. Switzerland needed a win today but could not break through the Honduran back line.
