With 10 different starters from the team that opened the Gold Cup on Thursday, the USA defeated Trinidad & Tobago, 2-0, Saturday to clinch a berth in the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup.
Goals by Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson gave the Americans the victory before an announced sell-out crowd of 27,000 at the Home Depot Center. After two games, they are the only team to have clinched a berth in the final eight.
Midfielder Benny Feilhaber was the lone carryover in the U.S. lineup. Unlike Guatemala, which largely shut down the U.S. attack in the 1-0 USA victory on Thursday, the inexperienced T&T defense gave the Americans lots of room to operate, and they dominated the Soca Warriors.
Ching and Johnson were set up by Justin Mapp and second-half sub Landon Donovan for two well-taken goals.
The victory improved the USA’s all-time record in first-round action at the Gold Cup to 20-0-1. It leads Group B with six points, three ahead of Guatemala and El Salvador. Guatemala won Saturday’s other game at the Home Depot Center, beating El Salvador, 1-0, for its first win in the competition since 1996.
GAME SUMMARY:
June 9 in Carson, Calif.
USA 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0. Goals: Ching 29, Johnson 54.
USA — Keller, Simek, DeMerit, Parkhurst, Spector, Ralston, Feilhaber (Donovan, 46), Clark, Mapp, Ching (Bradley, 65), Johnson (Twellman, 72).
Trinidad & Tobago — Williams, Thomas, Nickcolson (K.Baptiste, 24), Power, Noriega (C.Baptiste, 20), Aguillera, Pacheco (Noel, 81), Spann, Theobald, Toussaint, Roberts.
Referee: Roberto Moreno (Panama).
Att.: 27,000.