ESPN Network:
ESPN.com
ESPN Deportes
Fantasy Games
|
|
|
| Thursday, June 21, 2001 01:00 EST |
Razov, Stewart score in 2-0 win
[Associated Press]
FOXBORO, Mass. -- The U.S. soccer team can just about taste the sake and kimchi. With their best run ever, the Americans have put themselves within reach of a fourth straight trip to the World Cup.
Earnie Stewart's low shot beat Trinidad and Tobago keeper Clayton Ince in the 20th minute. |
"Now we can really say one more win will get us in," U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said after Wednesday night's 2-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago. "To be at this position at this stage is incredible."
Ante Razov scored just 74 seconds into the game -- the fastest
U.S. goal in qualifying in at least 12 years -- and Earnie Stewart
added a goal on a breakaway in the 20th minute.
The United States (4-0-1) leads the North and Central American and Caribbean region with 13 points, probably one or two short of the amount needed to qualify for next year's tournament in Japan and South Korea.
"We do have the luxury of making a couple of mistakes," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. "We're real close, but we have to push forward until we're mathematically there. Who knows how many points are needed to qualify? But we're pretty damn close."
Just three of the 32 teams at next year's World Cup will come
from this region, and the United States has a commanding lead at the
halfway mark of the 10-game qualifying finals. Costa Rica (3-1-1)
is second with 10 points, followed by Honduras (2-1-2) with eight,
Jamaica (1-2-2) with five and Mexico (1-3-1) with four.
At this pace, the United States is likely to clinch either on
Sept. 1 at Washington against Honduras or on Sept. 5 at Costa Rica.
"You want to qualify as fast as possible. That's the most important thing," said Stewart, who became the U.S. career scoring leader in World Cup qualifying with his seventh goal, one more than Willy Roy scored from 1966-74.
Arena says he doesn't consider his team the region's top power.
The numbers say the United States is.
The Americans are unbeaten in nine straight qualifiers since a
last-minute loss at Costa Rica last July 23, allowing only one
goal during that span, and are 14-0-5 in home qualifiers since the Costa Ricans beat them on May 31, 1985, at Torrance, Calif.
"This team has so much character," Stewart said. "They take so much pride in every game, in not losing games, In the past, maybe that was a little less."
Trinidad and Tobago (0-4-1), which has never advanced to the
World Cup, probably must win its five remaining games to qualify.
"The hopes are very slim now," coach Ian Porterfield said. "It's a long shot."
Arena switched his starting forwards from Saturday's scoreless tie at Jamaica, inserting Razov and Jovan Kirovski in place of Brian McBride and Joe-Max Moore.
On a night with lightning but no rain, Trinidad was as
disorganized as it was in Saturday's 4-2 home loss to Honduras, and
Jeff Agoos quickly took advantage, sending a long, looping pass
behind the defense in the second minute. Razov, a former Major
League Soccer player who spent last season with a small team in
Spain's second division, was one-on-one with goalkeeper Clayton
Ince and easily beat him with a left-footed shot from 10 yards out.
"Early in the game, they weren't ready for balls over the top and we surprised them," Agoos said.
It was the fastest U.S. goal in a qualifier since Bruce Murray connected in the third minute against Guatemala at New Britain, Conn., on June 17, 1989.
"We talked about it before the game: Put the ball behind the defense," Razov said.
Stewart scored when he stripped the ball from Marcin Andrews and came in alone on Ince and easily beat the beleaguered keeper. The United States dominated, except for the final 10 minutes of the first half and the first few minutes of the second, outshooting Trinidad &Tobago 15-8.
"I think we could have made it 3 or 4 nothing," Agoos said.
Right now, the main concern for the U.S. team is not letting
down. They're not used to looking down from the top.
"It's not going to get any easier," defender Chris Armas said, "so it's something not to sit back and get content with."
Game notes
Reyna received a yellow card for the second straight game and will be suspended for the Americans' next qualifier, July 1 at
Mexico. ... Kasey Keller started in goal for the second straight
qualifier and turned in his fifth straight shutout. It had been thought Brad Friedel would start in a rotation. ... The U.S.
team is 6-0-3 at Foxboro, including 3-0-1 in qualifying. ... Moore
came in as a sub, then left with swollen right ankle. ... Mexico
lost 3-1 at Honduras as Carlos Pavon scored three goals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
