USA 2 – 0 Jamaica — Nothin’ Better Than Home Cookin’

Hometown hero Zusi, constant Altidore clinch perfect home slate

By Brandon Farris

KANSAS CITY, KAN. — The United States managed to keep its undefeated 2013 World Cup CONCACAF qualifying home streak alive Friday at Kansas City. Graham Zusi and Jozy Altidore’s goals led them to a 2-0 win over Jamaica at Sporting Park.

The clean sheet, which eliminating the “Reggae Boyz” from advancement, was also the Americans’ fifth consecutive on home soil, a confidence builder with Brazil 2014 just months away.

Jamaica almost negated the shutout streak early, as in the seventh minute U.S. defender Brad Evans nearly cleared the ball into his own net. Luckily for Evans, teammate Jermaine Jones deflected it away after the ball rolled up Evans’ leg. Other than that one mess-up, Evans had a solid game defensively.

Reggae Boyz goalkeeper DuWayne Kerr deflected a DaMarcus Beasley shot ten minutes later, and on the ensuing corner kick Aron Johannsson just missed converting Landon Donovan’s perfectly placed delivery wide left of the goal.

Jamaica hit their own real scare in the 38th minute, when Randolph Austin curled it just wide from about 20 yards. The Americans countered in the 41st. but their last first-half opportunity in the 41st minute fizzled when a breaking Donovan lost control of the ball before he could go one-on-one with Kerr.

With both sides at a listless scoreless draw at halftime (the U.S. outshooting Jamaica 8-6, both with two on goal), USMNT Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann pulled Donovan in favor of hometown team Sporting Kansas City’s Graham Zusi. Klinsmann said after the game Zusi’s entrance was strategic move to improve the team’s poor play.

Like the opening half, the second started slowly, with the Jamaican defense effectively parrying the Americans’ attack. But midway through the term, that amazing defense began to show fatigue, and the USMNT subs were finding cracks.

That crack exploded in the 77th minute. Zusi broke open in the box, and planted Alejandro Bedoya’s cross into the bottom left corner of the net. The crowd of 18,467, whose pregame “We are going to Brazil” cries could be heard from a quarter mile from The stadium, went mental.

A minute later another sub, Sacha Kljestan, almost doubled the US output, but Kerr blocked his shot.

But that defense of Jamaica continued to falter, and in the 81st. minute, fatally so. Edgar Castillo, in for DaMarcus Beasley found Altidore wide open eight yards from the goal, and Altidore had no trouble tapping it in. At this point the Yanks were making it look easy.

Bedoya once again hit deep into the box from the right, but his cross flew just behind his strikers, and later Edgar Castillo just scuffed a sitter. The Jamaica offense came to life one last time in stoppage time, but an impressive Tim Howard save ensured that the zero remained on the board.

Referee Elmer Bonilla’s whistle left the United States team undefeated at home in 2013 and its fans going crazy in the stands with excitement. The Americans clinched winning the Hexagonal ahead of Tuesday’s final match in Panama, their 19 points an unassailable four ahead of Costa Rica’s 15. The already-qualified Ticos earlier lost 1-0 in Honduras.

The USMNT was a little slow to start out this match, but once they managed to crack the Jamaica defense they showed what they can do when running on all cylinders.

Regarding being pulled early, Donovan said he didn’t feel he was the worst player on the pitch at the time, but understood the substitution. When asked if he knew if he was going to Panama, Donovan stated he believes so and has no plans of heading back early to LA.

Humble Jamaica Head Coach Winfried Schäfer congratulated the United States and said his team has a bright future, but has a lot of work to catch up with with the Americans’ depth and fitness level. His American counterpart Klinsmann revealed that Beasley’s removal was due to a recurring hamstring problem, and he’ll consult his medical staff on the injury situations Saturday before the team travels south.

SCORING

1) USA, Zusi 77′
2) USA, Altidore (Castillo) 81′

LINEUPS

USA: Howard; Beasley (Castillo 66′), Besler, Cameron, Evans; Jones, Donovan (Zusi 46′), Bedoya, Diskerud; Johansson (Kjlestan 72′), Altidore.
Jamaica: Kerr; Phillips, Mariappa, Morgan, Doyley; Austin, Watson (Robinson 73′), Mattocks, McAnuff, Brown; Johnson (Anderson 85′).