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| Thursday, April 26, 2001 03:45 EST |
U.S. extends Cup qualifying home win streak to 18
[Associated Press]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Timing is everything.
U.S. defender David Regis elevates for a header over Costa Rican forward Steven Bryce. |
Just before teammate Jeff Agoos was to take a corner kick
Wednesday night, Josh Wolff looked to the sideline and saw Ante
Razov readying to enter the game. Wolff figured he had one more
chance to do something special before heading to the bench.
Wolff the opportunist then struck for the only goal as the
United States beat Costa Rica 1-0 Wednesday night in a World Cup
qualifier.
"I knew it was me coming off when I saw it was a forward coming
in," Wolff said after his goal in the 70th minute -- helped greatly
by a deflection off teammate Clint Mathis' arm that was not called
-- gave the Americans a 3-0 record in regional qualifying for the
2002 World Cup. "But you're still on the field and you have to do
your job."
"I thought Clint and I played well together," added Wolff, who
scored the first goal in a 2-0 victory over Mexico in February and
set up the other score in that game. "Any time the ball is whipped
in and it is not coming to you, you have to get in the right spot.
Clint nodded it to me and I did what I had to do."
Actually, Mathis did more than nod the long ball from Agoos. His
arm clearly touched it as he leaped.
"I don't think it hit my hand," Mathis said with a smile.
Costa Rica coach Alexander Guimaraes didn't protest the
non-call.
"I could not tell," he said. "I didn't see anything."
Wolff's goal and the steadfast goalkeeping of Kasey Keller gave
the Americans a stranglehold on qualifying in the North and Central
American and Caribbean region. The Americans have victories over
Mexico, Honduras and Costa Rica, considered their staunchest
competition in the race for three spots in South Korea and Japan
next spring.
"In the big picture, we have not qualified," coach Bruce Arena
said. "We're still far from the World Cup, but we couldn't have
laid it out better than to have a 3-0 record."
Before a crowd of 37,319, the largest ever for soccer at
Arrowhead Stadium, the United States played without injured
forwards Brian McBride and Joe-Max Moore and still extended its
home unbeaten streak in World Cup qualifying to 18. The last loss
was in 1985 to Costa Rica, which still holds a 5-4-2 edge over the
Americans in qualifying matches.
Costa Rica is 1-1-1 in this round, tied for second with Mexico,
which played a 1-1 tie Wednesday at Trinidad and Tobago, and
Jamaica, which played a 1-1 tie at home against Honduras.
"There's still seven games and that's 21 points a team can
get," Mathis said. "We definitely need to keep going and get as
many as we can, get as close as we can to that magic number. If we
get 30 points, I guarantee we're going to the World Cup."
After Wolff connected, it was Keller's job to protect the lead.
He did it with several terrific hand saves, including one on a
dangerous header by Paolo Wanchope with eight minutes left.
"His command in the goal was outstanding," Arena said. "He
played a great game."
With fireworks exploding behind the stadium, the U.S. players
saluted the crowd by taking a lap around the field. The Costa
Ricans didn't linger to watch.
"I thought we played well in a very important match,"
Guimaraes said. "This is a very tight competition."
After a lackluster first half, play immediately picked up as
both sides threatened. In a span of four minutes, Mathis sent a
header wide on a gorgeous cross from David Regis; Earnie Stewart's
25-yard shot was stopped by goalie Erick Lonnis; Wolff shot just
wide from close-range after a giveaway; and Wolff's sliding shot
was stopped by a prone Lonnis.
Costa Rica also had a dangerous chance in that flurry, but
Keller caught a close-in header by Steve Bryce.
Although the Americans carried the play for most of the first
half, they had trouble when they got near the Costa Rican penalty
area. But the United States got one excellent opportunity in the
16th minute.
Claudio Reyna broke free in midfield and sent a pass wide on the
left to Wolff. Wolff's soft, high shot got over Lonnis, but was
brilliantly cleared off the line by Reynaldo Parks' bicycle kick.
Television replays were inconclusive, but linesman Fernando
Cresci of Uruguay was right on the end line and did not signal a
goal.
Parks made several other strong plays and was Costa Rica's best
player all night.
Notes: FIFA's disciplinary committee will decide Thursday if Cobi
Jones, suspended for Wednesday's game, will receive an additional
suspension for his ejection in the game at Honduras ... Agoos spent
several minutes on the ground late in the first half after twice
being elbowed by Wanchope. But there were no yellow or red cards in
the match.
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