The U.S. U-20 men labored to a 2-0 win over Haiti Wednesday night to open their qualifying campaign for the 2003 World Youth Championship.
Also in Group B — the four-team round-robin from which the top to finishers will qualify — Canada downed El Salvador, 2-0. The USA meets El Salvador Friday night.
Against the Haitians, who have never qualified for the finals, Eddie Johnson scored the first goal and assisted on the second, by Santino Quaranta shortly before halftime.
U.S. captain Bobby Convey was unable to play because he didnÆt have his passport. Passports serve as player passes for international games. U.S. goalkeeper Clint Baumstark was also ineligible for the match because of a passport problem.
''We did well tonight against Haiti to get three points, and to do it with a little bit of a distraction and without your captain is impressive,'' said U.S. coach Thomas Rongen.
The USA outshot Haiti, 10-4. Johnson scored in the 26th minute with a hard shot after receiving a cross on the bounce from Justin Mapp.
In the 43rd minute, Johnson delivered a pass through three Haitian defenders for Quaranta, who controlled the ball at the top of the penalty area, avoided a marker, and shot into the corner of the goal.
U.S. goalkeeper Steve Cronin made two saves.
Nov. 13 in Charleston, S.C.
USA 2 Haiti 0.
Goals: Johnson (Mapp) 26, Quaranta (Johnson) 43.
USA — Cronin; Harvey, Marshall, Cochrane, Klaas; Mapp, Clark, Johnson (Grabavoy, 66), Barclay; Johnson, Quaranta (Cameron, 46+).
Haiti — St. Louis; Jean-Jacques, Guillame, Phillipe, Jean-Judan; Corriolan, St. Cyr (Louis, 78), Versailles (Pierre-Louis, 46), Jean (Milien, 40); Fucien, Herold Gracien.
Yellow cards: USA — Ryan Cochrane 45; Haiti — Philippe 67, Corriolan 70.
Weather: 56 degrees; cool, crisp
Att.: 1,144
SCHEDULE (times ET):
Friday, Nov. 15
5 p.m. Haiti vs. Canada
7: 30 p.m. USA vs. El Salvador
Sunday, Nov. 17
12 p.m El Salvador vs. Haiti
2:30 p.m. USA vs. Canada