US Wins Difficult Match in Guatemala 1-0

The US Mens Soccer National Team opened the semifinal round of 2010 World Cup qualifying by claiming their first ever qualifying win in Guatemala.  Carlos Bocanegra scored on a header in the 69th minute, and the United States escaped from Guatemala with a chippy 1-0 victory Wednesday night in the Americans' opener in the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying.   Unmarked about three yards from the goal, the American captain headed in DaMarcus Beasley's corner kick for his 10th goal in 59 international appearances.

Beasley had entered the match three minutes earlier when a bleeding Eddie Lewis came off on a stretcher after his head collided with a forearm from Guatemala's Jose Manuel Contreras when both leaped for the ball.   Bocanegra played a solid all-around game, disrupting Carlos Ruiz and Carlos Manuel Contreras from getting the crossing passes that could have led to dangerous chances.  The Americans, favored to make their sixth straight World Cup appearance, had tied all four of their previous qualifiers at Guatemala, where they had been 1-4-4 overall, their only win in a 1988 exhibition. They are 4-0 against Guatemala in qualifiers at home.

The US team played a man short after defender Steve Cherundolo was ejected in the 60th minute for tripping up Freddy Garcia and receiving his second yellow card. Cherundolo will miss the Sept. 6 qualifier at Cuba.   American goalkeeper Tim Howard, and midfielders Pablo Mastroeni and Clint Dempsey also were given yellow cards, meaning they would be suspended if they get another yellow card in qualifying.   Howard made seven saves on a busy night, with 100th-ranked Guatemala outshooting the 31st ranked Americans 16-9 before a capacity crowd of about 25,000 at Estadio Mateo Flores.