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MOTD- USA 1-0 Honduras

By on June 18, 2013

USA have all but sealed their long-desired place in the 2014 World Cup by claiming a vital win over Honduras in the final stages of qualifying. The win takes the United States into first place in the Concacaf qualifying group, with the only chance left of Jurgan Klinsman’s side not making it to the finals is if they lose their final game and Honduras win theirs, which would leave the teams tied on ten points.

The match in hand began as a tense affair, and although Honduras looked slightly more dangerous in the opening minutes, the United States still looked dangerous on the attack. Klimsman’s side used the wings to support their offensive threat, and after the Honduran goalkeeper Noel Valladares tipped Clint Dempsey’s flicked header from Fabian Johnson’s cross, the Fulham midfielder headed just wide at the back post from a corner. Eddie Johnson managed to get a toe on Fabain Johnson’s low cross in the sixteenth minute, producing a sharp save from Valladares to push the ball clear as the US began to push forward.

Although the US tried to find gaps Honduras did a good job of closing them down, making the game even more sloppy and disjointed. Honduras started to find their stride toward the end of the half, and Andy Najar’s powerful shot from the edge of the box following a counter-attack forced American goalkeeper Tim Howard into a good save to punch the ball wide.

Honduras’ bright spell ended at the beginning of the second half tough, allowing the US to pressure a bit higher up the field in the scorching hot weather. Brad Even’s header at the back post from Graham Zusi’s cross from the wing caused Valladares trouble, but the goalkeeper clutched the ball at a second attempt. In the sixty-fourth minute the US nearly opened the scoring in a goal-mouth scramble following Zusi’s corner, but Honduras managed to clear the ball to safety despite replays showing former Tottenham player Wilson Palacios clearly handling the ball during the mayhem. Seven minutes later Dempsey had his header at point-blank range from Zusi’s cross somehow pushed away by Valladares, only for the ball to fall to Michael Bradley, who’s follow up shot whizzed just over the bar.

The goal finally did come, with Jose Altidore giving the US a vital lead in the seventy-fourth minute. Zusi brilliantly flicked a pass into the run of Fabian Johnson down the left side of the Honduras box, and Johnson cut it back to Altidore, who coolly passed the ball into the far corner of the net. Although Honduras tried to grab an equalizer in the final minutes, the US managed to hold on to the lead, extending their run of going of not losing on American soil in World Cup qualifiers since 2001.
Man of the Match: Zusi

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.