It would not be the strong start the U.S. was hoping to have in their away match against Trinidad and Tobago, but the U.S. squad would persevere and come home victorious 1-0. T & T had many chances in the first half that went against the reeling squad.
Keeper Tim Howard proved once again to be one of the most valuable players in this match diving and tipping away a rocket free kick that was heading for the corner of the net as well as several other key game saving saves between the post.
The closest call for the U.S. would come late in the first half. Carlos Bocanegra seemed to be snoozing on an incoming throw-in and was easily burned by the T& T forward. Howard was forced to rush the open player and the result was a chip that would sail over his head and clank against the crossbar. It would be that type of day for T & T and the U.S. would benefit from the good fortune.
When the second half began the U.S. seemed to be rejuvenated and playing like a real squad once again. They were moving around the ball much better and seeking realistic opportunities to score. The man that would step up today would be Ricardo Clark who fired in a laser from outside the box for the lone goal of the match. Clark’s shot had the perfect reverse spin on it just wiggling out of the path of the diving keeper.
The goal would be the critical one of the match and with a few more close chances late in the game, the score could have been 2-0 U.S. But the U.S. should be happy to leave T & T with a decisive win. With the victory the U.S. is now atop the CONCACAF group table thanks to a Honduras loss against Costa Rica. It’s a tight race for the World Cup bid, but things couldn’t have gone much better than they did this week for the United States.
