U.S. Soccer provides the following notes previewing todayÆs USA-Guatemala TFC semifinal round qualifying game (2 ET live on ABC): USA RIDING 14-GAME HOME QUALIFYING UNBEATEN STREAK: Since dropping a 1-0 decision to Costa Rica on May 31, 1985, the United States has gone 14 consecutive games without a defeat at home in World Cup qualifying. Since qualifying for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina began in 1976, that loss to Costa Rica is the only blemish on the USA’s home record. The United States has lost only five qualifying matches since the 1982 World Cup, with all five defeats coming at the hands of the Ticos from Costa Rica. KIROVSKI, KELLER RETURN FROM EUROPE: Bruce Arena’s squad for the Guatemala match closely resembles the team that turned out for the Barbados match, with only two new players having been added to the roster. Kasey Keller returns to the team after a one-game absence, during which he helped his Spanish League team, Rayo Vallecano, advance through the preliminary rounds of the UEFA Cup. The most experienced World Cup qualifying goalkeeper in U.S. Soccer history, Keller has posted a 5-2-4 record and a 0.82 goals against average in 11 qualifying matches. Kirovski, 24, joins the national team for the first time since signing with Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon earlier this year. A versatile midfielder and forward with 43 caps, the California native made his first qualifying start against Guatemala on December 21, 1996. ARMAS UNAVAILABLE: For the first time this year, the United States will be without the services of its tenacious defensive midfield leader, Chris Armas, who suffered a Grade II sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee following a tackle from behind in the first half of the Barbados match. Armas, who scored his first two international goals this year against Iran and Colombia, is expected to be out of action for the next 3-4 weeks. A starter in every game but one this year, Armas led the team in minutes played and was named to the USA’s Olympic team before the injury forced him to pull out of the Sydney games. YELLOW CARD UPDATE: The following players have already received yellow cards in 2002 World Cup semifinal qualifying: Chris Armas, Jason Kreis, Earnie Stewart, and Greg Vanney. As it stands now, any player that accumulates two yellow cards in qualifying matches will automatically be suspended for his team’s next match. Of the four American players to have already collected a caution, only Stewart is on the roster for the Guatemala match. McBRIDE LEADS CURRENT ROSTER IN QUALIFYING SCORING: Columbus Crew forward Brian McBride, who averages better than a goal every 90 minutes in qualifying (5 goals in 443 minutes) is one of nine players on Bruce Arena’s 18-player Guatemala squad to have scored a World Cup qualifying goal for the United States. McBride leads all current squad members with five qualifying goals. Eddie Pope, Earnie Stewart, Joe-Max Moore, and Tab Ramos each have three goals in qualifying action, followed by Cobi Jones, Claudio Reyna, John O’Brien, and Ante Razov, who have one qualifying goal each. MOORE MOVES INTO No. 2 ALL-TIME SCORING SPOT: England-based forward Joe-Max Moore made his long-awaited return to the U.S. national team for the Barbados match in spectacular fashion, returning to the same stadium where he played most of his MLS matches with a two-goal performance in the 7-0 victory. The two goals give Moore 22 for the USA, good for second place on the all-time goal scoring register, one ahead of Bruce Murray’s total of 21. Since joining Everton of the English Premier League last winter, Moore has become a vital part of the Liverpool team’s success, contributing eight goals in 19 total matches before suffering a season-ending knee injury against Leicester City on April 8. GUATEMALA MISSING TWO PLAYERS THROUGH SUSPENSION: In contrast to the relatively few number of yellow cards shown to the United States in the first three qualifying games, Guatemala have been hit hard by cautions, and now suspensions. Two starters from the first meeting between the two teams, forward (and 88th minute goal scorer) Carlos Ruiz, and defender Gustavo Cabrera, are suspended for Sunday’s match, and eight other players are one card away from a one-game suspension. Everaldo Valencia, German Ruano, Luis Swisher, Fredy Garcia, Edgar Estrada, Julio Giron, and Dwight Pezzarossi, who are all on the roster for Sunday’s game, will all miss the next game if they pick up a yellow card, as will injured midfielder Jorge Rodas. SECOND OF THREE STRAIGHT HOME QUALIFIERS: The Guatemala match will mark the second of three consecutive home qualifying matches for the United States in Group “E” qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. After two road games in Guatemala and Costa Rica, a 1-1 draw in Mazatenango and a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat in San Jose, and a 7-0 home victory over Barbados in Foxboro, the USA stands second in the four-team group with three games to play, ahead of Guatemala on goal differential. The U.S. remains the only team in the group to have taken points on the road. UNITED STATES ALL-TIME RESULTS VS. GUATEMALA: After losing the first four games played between the two CONCACAF rivals (all in Guatemala City), the United States has gone unbeaten in nine consecutive matches against Guatemala.