Eddie Johnson scored both goals on a troubling night for the United States against Antigua & Barbuda. Johnson opened the scoring in the 20th minute at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Antigua & Barbuda equalized in the 25th minute, and the USA seemed unable to put together attacking moves on the tiny field in North Sound. With the game in stoppage time, Johnson scored the winner. The USA hosts Guatemala on October 16th in Kansas City.
“The field was very small," Johnson said. "We’re a good team pressuring up high and using our pace and creativity in attack. This pitch doesn’t allow you to play that way. It’s very small, it’s hard to run in behind, it’s hard to stretch their back four when they sit really deep. We knew it was going to be a tough game. These games aren’t easy. It’s a 90-minute game and we were able to do it tonight.”-- GAME REPORT --
Match: U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Antigua & Barbuda
Date: Oct. 12, 2012
Competition: 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Semifinal Round
Venue: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium; North Sound, Antigua
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Attendance: n/a
Weather: 81 degrees, muggy
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 1 2
ATG 1 0 1
USA – Eddie Johnson (Graham Zusi) 20th minute
ATG – Dexter Blackstock (Peter Byers) 25
USA – Eddie Johnson (Alan Gordon) 90
Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 21-Clarence Goodson, 20-Geoff Cameron, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.); 19-Graham Zusi (16-Sacha Kljestan, 78), 14-Danny Williams (13-Jermaine Jones, 56), 4-Michael Bradley, 18-Eddie Johnson; 8-Clint Dempsey, 9-Herculez Gomez (17-Alan Gordon, 73)
Subs not used: 2-Michael Parkhurst, 5-Kyle Beckerman, 7-Maurice Edu, 11-Joe Corona, 12-Brad Guzan, 22-Nick Rimando
Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann
ATG: 18-Molvin James; 5-Marc Joseph, 17-George Dublin, 11-Quinton Griffith, 20-Akeem Thomas, 19-Luke George, 3-Zane Francis-Angol, 14-Randolph Burton, 16-Peter Byers (9-Stefan Smith, 89), 13-Tamorley Thomas, 23-Dexter Blackstock
Subs not used: 1-Brent Mohammed, 21-Keita De Castro, 22-Hazel Pyle, 4-Karanja Mack, 8-Troy Dublin, 12-Moses Ashikodi, 10-Tevaughn Harriett, 7-Kimol Alexander
Head coach: Tom Curtis
Stats Summary: USA / ATG
Shots: 11 / 10
Shots on Goal: 4 / 2
Saves: 1 / 2
Corner Kicks: 7 / 2
Fouls: 11 / 11
Offside: 4 / 1
Misconduct Summary:
ATG – Tamorley Thomas (caution) 61st minute
USA – Jermaine Jones (caution) 62
Officials:
Referee: Neal Brizan (TRI)
Assistant Referee 1: Dion Neil (TRI)
Assistant Referee 2: Ionut Bordieanu (CAY)
Fourth Official: Christophel Stewart (CAY)
what a pitiful win. I know a win is a win, but come on. we are in the top 2 of this conference? It would not suprise me to see us not qualify. How can we go to italy and win, go to mexico and win and then go to Barbuda and play like that? It really gives me no faith in the stability of play for the team. I get it if something is always going wrong or if the team is always playing terribly then you have something to start with…something to go “ok we do “that” bad. lets work on “that” “, but this team is amazing one day and the next playing like a 3rd division squad. Bradley, Dempsey, Howard, Bocenagra, cherundolo, Gomez, Williams for this region thats a very respectable squad…each of them playing well on premier teams (minus gomez, no knock against him or his squad…just not a “premier squad”) …and can fifa do something about quality standard of field these matches are played on? Im not asking for a billion dollar arena…just something more than a step above an elementary school soccer field!
Your comments are interesting Kyle. I’m wondering if you were at the game. I was. I’ve lived in the US for 27 years but was born in Antigua. None of your comments give any credit to the Benna Boys’ quality of play, which incidentally was a huge factor in the way the US played, or some might say, was allowed to play. With respect to the field, why would you make such a disparaging remark? The US team trained at the facility the day before the game. I was also there. They had ample time to adjust to the field. Bottom line is that they did get the job done. I wish the US team well, except when they play Antigua. Major credit has to be given to the Benna Boys for their performance. They made the people of this twin island nation exceptionally proud. It was a keenly contested football match.
Medor, they did play quite well and gave the US team quite a game, but this doesnt mitigate how the US are such a hit and miss squad. I will give quite a bit of credit to Antigua for playing that well (dont take offense of this –>) but the US ranked 32nd got beaten around by a team ranked 106th (75 places below). This is like Spain ranked #1 playing awfully and almost losing to Estonia, Uzbekistan, Benin, Armenia, or Canada (70 places below spain). It doesn’t take away from the lower ranked team’s quality of place. It takes away the higher ranked team’s legitimacy of being a “better” team.
Regarding the field issue. I didn’t blame the field for the US’s poor quality of play. Both teams had to play on it and both were effected equally by it. I’m simply saying that FIFA sanctioned games should be played on fields of a particular quality. I admit that part of the beauty of the game is that you can have a highly funded team visit a nation that doesn’t have the same funding and play on those fields. It escapes me how and or why FIFA doesnt even have a regulation on the size of the pitch. Isnt that like saying “ok, when you play in Panama the goal is going to be 3 feet smaller”. The size and quality of the field effect the game for both teams.
Point being the US team , with respectable players, so often is a hit or miss team. They do not know how to consistently play at a higher level (beating spain in competition, italy at home, mexico at home). Is this US team better than they were in 84? In some areas we are, but over all Im not sure and isnt that what the goal was when they had the 2010 project. I am probably wrong about the name of the project. In fact, Im sure that I am, but the point is we had a goal to become a much better team and Im not sure we are in the end.