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Making a point U.S. allows late goal, ties Guatemala in qualifying
MAZATENANGO, Guatemala (AP) -- With the heat building and the clock running down, it looked as if the United States would open World Cup qualifying with a victory on one of the most remote parts of the road. Then Carlos Ruiz scored in the 88th minute, lifting Guatemala into a 1-1 tie Sunday and sending the Americans home with just a point instead of three. While the U.S. team dominated the first half and took a 1-0 lead on Ante Razov's injury-time goal, outshooting Guatemala 7-2, the Guatemalans outshot the Americans 14-3 in the second half. And the home team tied it when German Ruano sent a long pass downfield and Dwight Pezzarossi outjumped Greg Vanney, heading the ball into the path of Ruiz, who beat defender Robin Fraser and goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Eight minutes earlier, Freddy Garcia nearly tied it when his corner kick skimmed off Fraser's head and bounced off the far post. "We earned an important point on the road," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. "The conditions were difficult with the travel and the heat, but it wasn't something we weren't expecting and it wasn't something we weren't prepared for. Winning at home and taking points on the road is what World Cup qualifying is all about." "Obviously the heat was a big factor," Arena said. "But I thought the Guatemala players benefited from it more in the second half." The top two nations in each of the three semifinal groups advance to the six-nation finals of the North and Central American and Caribbean region. "We had a number of good opportunities, but only came through when it was urgent," Guatemala coach Julio Cesar Cortes said. "We wanted to win but were very lucky to get a tie." In Sunday's other Group E game, Barbados rallied past visiting Costa Rica 2-1 on goals by Lewellyn Riley (50th minute) and Michael Forde (84th) after Alexander Madrigal (47th) had put Costa Rica ahead. Next Sunday, the United States is at Costa Rica before opening the home portion of its schedule against Barbados on Aug. 16 at Foxboro, Mass.
Razov scored for the third straight game. Earnie Stewart took the ball at the top of the penalty area and sent it back to Claudio Reyna, who quickly passed to Razov. Razov's shot deflected off defender Luis Swisher and beat goalkeeper Edgar Estrada with 34 seconds to play in the first half. The game originally was scheduled for Guatemala City but was moved by the home team to this inland town, about 100 miles away. The gametime temperature at Mazatenango was about 93 degrees, about 10 degrees warmer than in Guatemala City.
The U.S. was reduced to panic on several occasions, with defender Robin Fraser heading against his own crossbar following a corner kick in the 79th minute. The home team, which has never qualified for a World Cup, was rewarded when Ruiz, who had been lucky to escape a red card only minutes earlier, sneaked in to score from close range in the dying minutes. Taking a long pass from Miranda, second-half substitute Dwight Pezzarossi outjumped defender Greg Vanney to head a ball down into the path of Ruiz, who was able to get a half-step ahead of Robin Fraser and slide a shot past goalkeeper Kasey Keller into the right side of the net.
"I saw my opportunity and I took and I was successful," said Ruiz. Just three minutes earlier, Ruiz -- already playing with a yellow card -- had plowed into Keller while he leaped alone in the box for a high ball, then whacked down Robin Fraser chasing for the loose ball in the penalty area. Ruiz had received his yellow card in the 80th minute for intentionally knocking the ball into the U.S. net with his hand. Originally set to be played in the capital, Guatemala City, the match was switched to this remote village -- where the fans are closer to the field and more fervent, and the climate hotter and more humid -- in what Arena had termed an example of "gamesmanship." A crowd of 9,500 packed the small stadium for the match, occasionally raining debris in the direction of the Americans and the referee. "Obviously the heat was a big factor," he said. "But I thought the Guatemala players benefited from it more in the second half." The U.S. team is 6-4-3 against Guatemala and has never won on Guatemalan soil. Arena's record since taking over as U.S. coach is 12-5-8.
In Group C, Mexico won 1-0 at Panama on Miguel Zepeda's goal with four minutes left, and Trinidad and Tobago stopped Canada's 15-game unbeaten streak, winning 2-0 at Edmonton, Alberta, on goals by Angus Eve (43rd) and Dwight Yorke (73rd). In Group D, Honduras won 5-2 at El Salvador as Carlos Pavon Plumer scored twice (41st and 61st minutes) and Samuel Caballero (12th), Dany Turcios (38th) and David Suazo (85th) scored one apiece. Elias Montes (seventh) and Mauricio Cienfuegos (88th) scored for the home team. Jamaica won 1-0 at St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Onandi Lowe's goal in the 23rd minute. Notes: ESPN couldn't get its own feed on the air for the first half and had to use the Guatemalan feed, with the Spanish-language announcers occasionally heard in the background. ... Razov was playing his 10th international game. ... The Americans returned to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., immediately after the game. Lineups: Guatemala: 1-Edgar Estrada; 17-Germán Ruano, 4-Luis Swischer, 3-Erick Miranda, 5-Gustavo Cabrera, 19-Everaldo Valencia; 7-Fabricio Benítez (16-Mario Acevedo 67), 10-Juan Manuel Funes (11-Freddy López 46), 23-Jorge Rodas; 9-Carlos Ruiz, 15-Juan Carlos Plata (14-Dwight Pezzarossi 72). Estados Unidos: 18-Kasey Keller; 17-Tony Sanneh, 4-Robin Fraser, 23-Eddie Pope (22-Greg Vanney 76), 6-Davis Regis; 14-Chris Armas, 7-Eddie Lewis, 10-Claudio Reyna, 8-Ernie Stewart (2-Frankie Hejduk 74); 13-Cobi Jones (9-Tab Ramos 78), 11-Ante Razov Referee: Armando Archundia (México). Misconduct Summary: GUA -- German Runo (caution) 16th minute.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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