Brad Evans scored a stoppage-time purpose to present the USA a 2-1 World Cup qualifier victory over Jamaica in Kingston. It was an enormous strike for Evans, and a good greater consequence for the Yanks.
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BY
John Godfrey
Posted
June 07, 2013
11:52 PM
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Jurgen Klinsmann did one thing Friday that he had by no means completed earlier than as coach of the USA nationwide workforce—he began the identical lineup two video games in a row.
And it labored. Type of.
Although the Individuals didn’t play notably nicely and squandered a late lead in opposition to an exhausted opponent, Brad Evans scored a stoppage-time game-winner to present the U.S. a 2-1 highway win over the Reggae Boyz. The victory, an American first on Jamaican soil in World Cup qualifying, quickly lifted the U.S. into first place within the Hexagonal spherical of World Cup qualification.
“It makes traveling a little easier,” Klinsmann stated. “What’s important is that this team now gets more and more the mentality to bounce back and to kind (of) challenge themselves to win here, not to look for a tie. We said that from the beginning; we are ready now to come into a difficult place like Kingston and say we want the three points.”
It was a weird match and in some ways an archetypal CONCACAF qualifier: rugged, ragged, chippy, and uneven.
The U.S. almost took the lead 90 seconds into the match when, after a collection of tight passes, Michael Bradley took a shot from 15 yards out that ricocheted off the Jamaican upright. The Individuals adopted that up with high-pressure protection and strong ball management and appeared to have the Reggae Boyz on their heels.
However then: nothing. The sport slowed noticeably by the 10-minute mark as tight marking and poor passing plagued each offenses. Neither facet seemed harmful and the sport lacked construction and focus.
Till the 30-minute mark, that’s, when Graham Zusi received free on the fitting flank and delivered a scrumptious cross to an unmarked Jozy Altidore in entrance of purpose. Altidore, wanting loads just like the deadly AZ Alkmaar striker who dominated the Eredivisie, nodded the ball house previous Donovan Ricketts to place the Individuals forward.
Smelling blood, the U.S. tried to show up the stress however Jamaica rapidly regained its composure and the sport as soon as once more settled right into a tense midfield battle.
Within the thirty ninth minute, Jamaica’s Ryan Johnson and Rodolph Austin engaged in a intelligent give-and-go that befuddled Evans and created a implausible scoring likelihood. Austin ended up with a breakaway alternative on U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, however his right-footed shot hit the upright and the primary half ended with the U.S. forward 1-0.
Neither workforce mustered a lot of an assault for the primary 25 minutes of the second half. Within the seventieth minute Bradley floated a cross to Dempsey within the Jamaican penalty space, however the U.S. captain headed the half-chance over the crossbar. Past that, neither purpose was critically threatened.
Ankles and shins have been below fixed siege, nonetheless. It was a really nasty match, and the visiting Individuals have been on the receiving finish of a lot of the stray kicks.
Because the match approached the 80-minute mark, Jamaica began pushing ahead in a determined try and even up the rating. Desperate to claw its means out of final place within the Hexagonal but exhausted from taking part in Mexico simply three days earlier, this tack uncovered the Jamaican again line to a number of U.S. counterattacks.
However the Jamaicans received even earlier than the Yanks might kill off the sport. With the American protection napping, Jermaine Beckford received on the tip of Austin’s curling spot kick and headed it previous a defenseless Howard. It appeared as if the Jamaicans had salvaged a tie regardless of doing little or no to deserve the consequence.
Earlier than disappointment might set into the American facet, nonetheless, the Yanks struck again. After incomes a nook within the second minute of stoppage time, the ever-astute Bradley seen that the Jamaican protection was taking part in again, so he performed a brief nook, acquired the ball again, and noticed Evans within the penalty space close to Ricketts’ goalmouth. Unmarked, Evans turned and slotted the ball into the again of the tip to place the Individuals forward to remain.
“It was a totally blind shot,” Evans stated after the match. “The only thing in my mind was turn and shoot. That was it.”
Evans acquired a yellow card for pulling his jersey over his head to have a good time the purpose. He appeared OK with that. “Pure elation after the goal, for sure. I had no idea it was stoppage time.”
It was no doubt the most important purpose of Evans’ profession, and it greater than made up for his sloppy play earlier within the match.
With the victory, the U.S. now has seven factors in 4 video games within the remaining spherical of World Cup qualification, and is in an excellent place with two Hexagonal house matches later this month.
John Godfrey is the founder and editor in chief of American Soccer Now.
