Qualifying Back on Track After Victory

On This Day in 2005, After a Defeat in Mexico, the US Bounced Back with a Home Win Over Guatemala

Less than four days after a disheartening 2-1 loss to Mexico at the intimidating Azteca Stadium—a match that exposed the United States Men's National Team's vulnerabilities at high altitude—the Americans sought redemption on home soil. The Mexico match had revealed stark differences in execution, with the U.S. defense suffering a catastrophic 15-minute window that cost them the game against their fiercest regional rivals.

"I believe our players shut down in the last 15 minutes of the first half, and that cost us the game," Manager Bruce Arena had acknowledged after the Mexico defeat, where the American defense had been stretched to the breaking point by Mexico's clever three-forward attack.

The March 30 match against Guatemala at Legion Field was more than just another World Cup qualifier. It represented a pivotal opportunity for the U.S. team to reclaim its footing in the CONCACAF qualification process. With Mexico (2-0) leading the group with six points—two ahead of Guatemala (1-0-1) and three in front of the United States (1-1)—this home fixture had suddenly become a must-win situation for the Americans.

"You put one step into the World Cup if you win your games at home," U.S. captain Claudio Reyna emphasized before the match. "We shouldn't get too anxious, it's only the third game."

The setting could hardly have been more symbolic. At Legion Field—once the domain of football legends Bear Bryant and Joe Namath—soccer took center stage in what was fittingly advertised as the "Football Capital of the South." The USSF's strategic decision to host the match in Birmingham, Alabama, aimed to create a definitive home-field advantage, a luxury not always guaranteed for the U.S. team on American soil.

"The reason we're in Birmingham," Arena explained, "is that we've seen things here that resemble a home advantage. And we're hopeful we'll have that on Wednesday."

The evening unfolded with a palpable patriotic energy as 31,624 fans filled Legion Field. While a surprisingly large and vocal Guatemalan contingent made their presence known, the "good ol' boys" ultimately claimed the atmosphere for the home side. The stadium hosted the U.S. national team just twice before in exhibition matches and became the perfect backdrop for American redemption.

Eddie Johnson, celebrating his 21st birthday eve, continued his remarkable international scoring streak in the 11th minute. The sequence began with Pablo Mastroeni finding Landon Donovan, who cleverly backheel-passed to Johnson. The rising star planted a left-footed shot off the right post and into the net for his eighth goal in eight games with the national team—an extraordinary rate for the young forward.

"If we're at fault for anything, it's not finishing off a few more plays," Arena later commented about his team's dominant performance. "I think it's one of those nights where you can't single out any one player. Basically, our entire team played well."

The Americans maintained their aggressive pressing style throughout the match, consistently threatening the Guatemalan defense. In the first half alone, the U.S. outshot its Central American opponents 14-3, earning five corner kicks to Guatemala's two. Only a series of errant shots, particularly off-target headers, kept the halftime margin from being more outstanding.

The decisive second goal came when Johnson, showcasing his playmaking abilities, nodded the ball to Steve Ralston, who skillfully used the outside of his right foot to finish in the 68th minute. This insurance goal secured the vital three points for the Americans and silenced the substantial Guatemalan support.

"We played 15, 16 games without losing," Donovan later reflected. "We had really one bad half, one bad five minutes, in Mexico, against a very good team, at an incredible altitude and in nasty smog, and all of a sudden we're the worst team in CONCACAF. This just makes some peace and quiet for a week so that people can leave us alone."

The victory was significant in the broader context of American soccer's evolution. Once celebrated as an extraordinary achievement, qualification for the World Cup is now expected as routine.

"I think the difference between the U.S. team now and the way the U.S. team was 10 years ago is we can play two games in three days and be able to make four or five changes and really make a difference," goalkeeper Kasey Keller observed. "We have a much deeper squad than we had years ago. We went from 1990 being overjoyed with getting into a World Cup to now the expectation that we're just supposed to dominate and qualification is a foregone conclusion."

The win propelled the United States to second place in their qualifying group with six points, just one behind Mexico, which had seven. More importantly, it marked the beginning of a crucial stretch for the Americans, who would play four of their next five qualifiers on home soil—a significant advantage in securing one of the region's three automatic qualifying spots for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

"Today, we came off of a loss to Mexico, a very good team in a very difficult place to play, and we came back and showed that we are who we are and who we should be," Keller concluded, capturing the resilient spirit of a team determined to prove they belonged among the world's elite.