The Columbus fortress stands tall.
MAPFRE Stadium was again the cure for what ailed the US national team on Tuesday night, as the Yanks handled a must-win situation with aplomb, sweeping aside Guatemala 4-0 to put their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track and push Friday's humiliating road loss into the background.
Clint Dempsey struck early to ease the home side's nerves after Gyasi Zardes and Geoff Cameron combined to give him an open look inside the penalty box, and Cameron doubled the lead with a set-piece header after half an hour.
Graham Zusi netted an opportunistic finish just seconds after the second half began, and Jozy Altidore came off the bench to add a late exclamation point. To cap off a night of relief, teenage phenom Christian Pulisic was the final substitute, making his senior-team debut and cap-tying the dual-eligible midfielder.
Box Score
- 12' – USA– Clint Dempsey (Gyasi Zardes, Geoff Cameron)
- 35' – USA – Geoff Cameron (Michael Bradley)
- 46' – USA – Graham Zusi (Gyasi Zardes, DeAndre Yedlin)
- 89' – USA – Jozy Altidore (Clint Dempsey)
- Full box score
- Stats
