[USA-GUATEMALA: Wrapup] The USA moved into the 2013 Hexagonal -- Concacaf's six-team World Cup qualifying group -- with a 3-1 win over Guatemala before a
sellout crowd at the Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City. The Chapines, who were eliminated with the loss, took the lead in the fifth minute, but the USA soon was in command, getting two goals and
an assist from Clint Dempsey.
After Carlos Ruiz put Guatemala ahead, Dempsey's flick header off Graham Zusi's corner kick set up Bocanegra's goal in the 10th minute.
Dempsey teamed up with former Fulham teammate Eddie Johnson to put the USA ahead in the 18th, and then a great combination play involving, Zusi, Michael Bradley, Herculez Gomez resulted in a Bradley ball to the far post that Dempsey put away.
Dempsey's two goals tied him with Brian McBride for
third most in American history with 30 goals.
At one point in the second half when Antigua & Barbuda's Quinton Griffith scored to reduce
Jamaica's 2-1 lead in Kingston, Guatemala was in position to advance despite its 3-1 deficit, but two late goals by MLS veteran Dane Richards gave the Reggae
Boyz second place in Group A.
HEXAGONAL. Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama will complete the Hexagonal, which will begin with the first of 10
games on Feb. 6. It will be followed by double fixtures on March 22 and March 26, June 7 and June 11, Sept. 6 and Sept. 10 and Oct. 11 and Oct. 15. A second single date will take place on Aug. 14. The
top three teams in the six team group will qualify for Brazil 2014, while the fourth-place team will face the Oceania winner in a playoff in November.
TRIVIA. The win improved the USA's 2012 record to 9-2-2, earning its best winning percentage (0.769) in the modern era.
YELLOW CARDS.
Yellow cards will carry over to next year. Dempsey picked up a yellow card in stoppage time for the USA's only card of the game. Bradley, Zusi, Maurice
Edu and Fabian Johnson will also carry cards in 2011.
Oct. 16 in Kansas City, Kan.
USA
3 Guatemala 1. Goals: Bocanegra 10, Dempsey 18, 36; Ruiz 5.
USA -- Howard; Cherundolo, Cameron, Bocanegra, Parkhurst; Zusi (Edu, 78), Williams,
Bradley, E.Johnson (Corona, 90); Dempsey, Gomez (Kljestan, 66).
Guatemala -- Jerez; R.Morales, Vasquez, E.Morales, J.Lopez; Velasquez, Rodriguez (M.Lopez,
46), Contreras, Leon, Figueroa (Pappa, 46); Ruiz (Pezzarossi, 88)
Referee: Roberto Moreno (Panama).
Att.:
16,947.



Ryan Zwilling


