Dempsey double guides USA through
AFP
AFP, FRISCO (TEXAS): Clint Dempsey scored twice as the United States mens national team began their CONCACAF Gold Cup title defence on Tuesday by holding on to beat Honduras 2-1 at Toyota Stadium.
Dempsey scored on either side of halftime for the favoured Americans who came into the tournament riding a four-match friendly win streak and now move to the top of Group A standings with three points.
It wasnt our best game, but we are happy to get three points from our first game, said Dempsey, of the US which has reached the final of the past five Gold Cups, winning three.
The Americans and Hondurans are joined in Group A by Haiti and Panama, who played to a 1-1 draw in the first game of the 12-team, 19-day tournaments opening day doubleheader.
The USA, who have 16 players on the Gold Cup team that played in last years World Cup, opened the scoring Tuesday off a scramble in front of the goal.
Dempsey was in the right place at the right time when Honduran goalkeeper Donis Escober kicked a Jozy Altidore rebound right to him in the centre of the box and he made no mistake nodding it home in front of the crowd of 22,300.
Dempsey made it 2-0 on another header, but this time off a free kick.
His leap from in front wasnt perfect but it was high enough to get his head on a piece of the ball and deflect it past a flatfooted Escober in the 63rd minute.
Substitute Carlos Discua cut the US lead to one goal just five minutes later with a clever move to split the US defence and hammer a shot over the left shoulder of goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
The USA nearly had a third goal in the 78th minute as Escober made a difficult save off a Micheal Bradley free kick.
Honduras controlled the play for much of the rest of the match but they couldnt capitalize on their chances. They failed to score on Bryan Acostas corner in the 89th minute.
DeAndre Yedlin elbowed a Honduran attacker in the back resulting in a free kick in extra time but they squandered that opportunity as well.
We took advantage of the opportunities that we got, Dempsey said. Once we scored the goal they couldnt press like they wanted to because they couldnt afford to give up another.
We werent at our best towards the end of the first half. Then we got the second goal. We should have saw the game out but we made it difficult on ourselves.
American goalkeeper Guzan was tested early by Honduras. He made a close-range save on Anthony Lozanos attempt in the third minute and put a long shot from Acosta over the crossbar a few minutes later.
Jurgen Klinsmanns US side will next face Haiti in group play on Friday in Boston.
In the first game of the doubleheader, Alberto Quintero began the scoring in the 55th minute for Panama, who were the surprise team of the last Gold Cup in 2013 when they finished runner-up to the US.
Duckens Nazon got the equalizer in the 85th minute for Haiti, who are making their sixth appearance in the regional tournament.
On Wednesday, Costa Rica plays Jamaica and El Salvador faces Canada at StubHub Centre stadium in south central Los Angeles.
Mexico begins play Thursday in Chicago against Cuba. Trinidad and Tobago takes on Guatemala also in Chicago.
At stake in the tournament is a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.
