All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

Plenty of good seats still available at the Home Despot Center. What crowd is there is definitely pro-Guatemala.

Donovan with a weak-looking corner, but it finds Bradley at the near post. His header is cleared. Donovan creates another good chance with a left-footed cross, which Twellman shanks.

First chance for Guatemala in the 19th minute. Avila crosses from the right, Boca almost pulls an autogolazo as he shanks his clearance just wide of Howard's left post.

 

Great movement by Beasley and Twellman to set up Dempsey there.

 

A Guate defender goes in two-footed, studs up on Hejduk, but there's no call (quelle shock!). Cross from DMB after Donovan's corner finds Dempsey all alone at the back post, but Deuce makes a mess of the chance.

Trigueno doesn't have a clue how to deal with these crosses. Good thing for him DMB and Donovan are playing out wide.

28': 1-0 US! Twellman slips a ball in behind the Guate defense, Dempsey beats the keeper 1v1. Good player and ball movement, which is what it's going to take against this mass of bodies in the midfield.

 

There's the Taylor Twellman we all know and love. Donovan with a good cross, giving TT a free header, and he puts it over the bar.

Game starting to open up a bit. Ruiz gets behind the US back line on a quick free kick, but his square ball is cleared. Feilhaber leads a break the other way and shoots weakly at Trigueno.

Heydude booked for a takedown in the 42nd minute. Guates with a free kick about 25 yards out ... Ruiz sends it into Row K.

 

Halftime, 1-0 US. Probably should be 2-0 or 3-0.

Dude with an uncharacteristically good cross in stoppage time, DMB and Twellman can't finish despite having ample time in the box. Donovan with a good shot straight at Trigueno shortly after, ref calls for halftime before LD can take the corner kick.

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EDIT: I notice FSC and the US Soccer Matchtracker aren't listing fouls. There's plenty both ways, and I doubt things finish with just one booking.

 

No changes either way as the second half starts. Hejduk still running, Ruiz still flopping, Gooch still huge.

Good movement lets Donovan in from the right, but he scuffs another shot straight at the goalkeeper. Getting to be something of an annoying trend.

First save for Howard = 50th minute. Noriega with a looping shot, Timmay pushes it over with two hands.

 

CONCAlaugh officiating at its finest. Ruiz bumps Onyewu, Gooch does down, Ruiz called for the foul ... and Onyewu gets a yellow? ??? :

Howard with another save in the 60th minute. Ruiz with a low, hard free kick, but Timmy's positioning is ideal.

Johnson subbed in for Dempsey, 61st minute.

 

Guatemala gets its first yellow in the 67th minute. Gomez gets it.

Donovan and Ruiz crash into each other. LD stays down, Guatemala does the classy thing by playing on....

Ralston on for Twellman in the 71st minute. Mario Rodriguez subbed on for Gomez for Guatemala.

 

Fucking comical by the Honduran ref. He has zero control over this game. : :

Gooch gets his second yellow in the 73rd minute, apparently for obstruction. The first card was laughable, and this one wasn't much better.

 

77th minute: Boca gets booked for a "foul" on Ruiz, Fish puts the free kick wide.

80th minute: Jay DeMerit on for Feilhaber. DMB gets dumped on his keister twice after he releases the ball. Bookable offense? Hardly. :

 

Noriega booked after leveling Donovan from behind in the 86th minute. The ball was gone for at least a second before the combo hipcheck/forearm shiver.

Johnson actually gets to face goal for once, but he blasts a half-volley over the bar.

Guatemala sub: Luis Swisher on for Noriega in the 89th minute.

 

92nd minute: Guate GK up for a corner kick, he gets a head on it, but Howard collects. Ref blows (I'll say!) for full time right after.

Not a great game, but a good learning tool for the young'uns. They'll face plenty of teams with no ambition and little skill in CONCACAF. If you don't break them down and put them away early, they only grow in confidence and make life more difficult. It certainly helps them, too, if the ref went to Patrick Swayze's Roadhouse School of Officiating.

It's good to see the US have the maturity to kill off the game, especially in a hostile environment. A few more projectiles and airplane miles and it would've been a road World Cup qualifier.