U.S. shows grit in comeback against Honduras

CHICAGO -- World Cup qualifying was supposed to be a mere formality for the United States, but reality is proving to be something very different. The Americans continued to make life hard for themselves in Saturday's match against Honduras, yet they took a major step toward qualification with a vital 2-1 victory over the Catrachos.

It was a victory born of grit, guts, and just about any other noun that is code for an ugly win. Yet the Americans will take it just the same, notching their first comeback victory in qualifying since a 2-1 win over Trinidad & Tobago in 1985.

Just as in Wednesday's loss to Costa Rica, the U.S. endured another shocking start to the match. On this occasion, Clint Dempsey was stripped of the ball in his own half by Wilson Palacios in the fifth minute, and Palacios' feed to Carlos Costly found his teammate in enough space to lash home his shot past Tim Howard. It was a goal that sent the largely pro-Honduras crowd into rapture and plunged the U.S. into serious self-doubt.

"It was a little bit of 'Crap, here we go again,'" defender Carlos Bocanegra said. "But after it happened, we regrouped, and Bob [Bradley] is always telling us when that happens to not get stretched out and go crazy, and I thought we did well with that."

While the U.S. showed infinitely more composure then they did in Wednesday's loss to Costa Rica, finding clear openings was proving difficult, especially with the forward tandem of Jozy Altidore and Conor Casey struggling to link up in attack.

That made the Americans especially grateful for the good fortune that brought them level just two minutes before halftime. An innocuous-looking long ball from Oguchi Onyewu was handled by Honduran defender Mario Beata, with Donovan slotting home the resulting penalty with uncharacteristic authority.

"There was a lot going through my head," Donovan said. "I don't know if they watched [my penalty] from Wednesday. A few players I've played with like [Carlos] Pavon and [Amado] Guevara, and I don't know if they were telling them things. I didn't want to overthink it, so in the end I just decided to hit it hard in a good spot."

AP

Landon Donovan's penalty started the U.S. team's rally.

Bocanegra's brave diving header from Clint Dempsey's knockdown in the 68th minute then provided the difference over a Honduras side that blew a major opportunity in securing their own trip to South Africa. And one only had to look at the raw emotion with which the Americans celebrated the goal to see just how important the tally was.

The U.S.' ability to triumph under such circumstances was in large part due to strong performances from some unexpected sources. Ricardo Clark had a massive game in the center of the American midfield, doing plenty to shackle Honduran captain Amado Guevara, and his two goal-line clearances helped preserve the victory.

"It's all about reacting in those situations, especially in that part of the field," Clark said. "You want to be sharp when the ball pops out to you, and that's what I did. I was just doing my job."

The Americans also received solid play from outside backs Jonathan Bornstein and Jonathan Spector, who did plenty to solidify a back line that looked about his strong as tissue paper against Costa Rica.

But with the Hexagonal now halfway done, there are still plenty of concerns for Bradley. The upcoming Confederations Cup was presumed to be a time when he could fine-tune things against top-notch competition. Yet now there are plenty of questions surrounding the makeup of the U.S. midfield, and with Brian Ching apparently out for another two to three weeks with a hamstring injury, the forward situation remains equally unsettled.

The way the U.S. has started its recent matches is also alarming. The Americans have fallen behind early in three of their last four games, and while they've been able to secure a win and a draw out of those matches, it's clear that playing with that kind of fire just can't continue in the second half of the Hexagonal.

"It's something we will continue to address," Bradley said. "It's concentration, it's decisions early in the game. … At the higher levels you can't keep putting yourself in that hole. We'll have to look hard at the plays that have led to these chances."

That way, perhaps the Americans can make things a bit easier for themselves.

Player ratings (scale of 1-10):

GK, Tim Howard, 6 -- His distribution was shaky early on, but he had no chance on Costly's goal. His decisions to come off his line in the second half were spot-on.

D, Jonathan Bornstein, 6 -- Defended competently, and consistently got into the attack. His passing could have been sharper, but a major step forward for the Chivas USA defender.

D, Carlos Bocanegra, 7 -- Was solid defensively, and his goal was massive. A hamstring injury ended his night after 71 minutes.

D, Oguchi Onyewu, 6 -- Commanding in the air, but should have been quicker to step to Costly on the goal. His long ball led to the penalty that got the U.S. back in the game.

D, Jonathan Spector, 6 -- Got forward to good effect, and while his distribution was lacking at times, he provided a huge upgrade from Wednesday on the right side.

M, Landon Donovan, 5 -- Saw plenty of the ball, and made some darting runs, but his passing was uneven. Penalties don't come any more pressurized, however, and Donovan delivered.

M, Ricardo Clark, 7 -- Kept things simple in the midfield and contributed on both sides of the ball. Also had two vital clearances off the line in the second half.

M, Pablo Mastroeni, 5 -- Much improved performance for the veteran on all fronts, but according to Bradley, Mastroeni was gassed by halftime, necessitating his departure.

M, Clint Dempsey, 5 -- His giveaway that led to the first Honduran goal was criminal. Spent the rest of the game trying to make up for it, and his knockdown for Bocanegra's goal did just that. On another day, however, his early mistake could have proved fatal.

Conor Casey, 4 -- Didn't look to be on the same page as his teammates, which was understandable given his late call-up. Still provided the kind of physical presence the U.S. needed and came into the game more in the second half, but he'll need to improve if he is to supplant Brian Ching.

Jozy Altidore, 5 -- His high-pressure defense helped get him involved in the game, but he struggled to have much impact in the attack.

Subs:

M, Benny Feilhaber, 5 -- Had some shocking plays to start, but eventually settled in, creating a great chance for Dempsey.

D, Jay DeMerit, 6 -- Came in under difficult circumstances, and got the job done. Depending on the extent of Bocanegra's injury, the Confederations Cup could present a huge opportunity to shoehorn his way into the lineup.

M, DaMarcus Beasley, 5 -- Buzzed around defensively, but his passing was a bit suspect.

Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPNsoccernet. He also writes for Center Line soccer and can be reached at eljefe1@yahoo.com.