Mapp guides U.S. to 2-0 victory
Three years away from the Big Show, also known as the World Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is very much an off-Broadway production.
It determines the champion of soccer’s North and Central American and Caribbean region, but its main purpose is to screen new talent, to assess who might hold his own during qualifying for South Africa 2010, when things get serious.
That’s certainly the approach the U.S. took Saturday in earning a 2-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago that all but clinched its place in the Gold Cup quarterfinals.
Goals by Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson did the trick in front of a sellout crowd at the Home Depot Center, but the player who impressed again was Justin Mapp.
In January, the Chicago Fire midfielder created a memorable goal in a 3-1 win over Denmark with some nifty dribbling moves. This time, it was his speed and crossing ability that stood out.
Mapp, from Brandon, Miss., is only 22 and this was only his third appearance for the national team, but the left-sided player showed qualities that could come in very handy down the road.
“Obviously, he does a great job,” said U.S. forward Taylor Twellman. “He’s silky smooth and kind of catches you off guard. He does a very good job of beating his man on the dribble and getting the ball into the box.”
That’s what Mapp did at the half-hour mark, sprinting past Trinidad and Tobago’s Seon Power and sending a perfect cross in for Ching to deflect past goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams at the far post.
In a game that seldom rose to any great heights, the U.S. doubled its advantage in the 54th minute off a fastbreak fueled by second-half substitute Landon Donovan’s surging run.
Donovan exchanged passes with Ching to tear open the Trinidad and Tobago defense and then passed to Johnson, who steered the ball across the line for his 10th international goal.
The victory left the U.S. with six points entering its final first-round match, against El Salvador in Foxborough, Mass., on Tuesday night.
In the first game Saturday, Guatemala defeated El Salvador, 1-0, on a 69th-minute goal by Jose Contreras. Guatemala and El Salvador each have three points. Trinidad and Tobago has none.
Mapp enjoyed his afternoon.
“I haven’t gotten many opportunities, but when you do you’ve got to make the most of them,” he said. “You want the team to do well, but at the same time you want to show what you can do to perhaps be here in the future.”
Bob Bradley, the U.S. coach, says there is a future for Mapp.
“He’s got to continue to mature as a player,” Bradley said. “ ... We all see the moments when he gets the ball and is able in that unique way to slow down and speed up and go by people.
“But he still has to stay focused in the game more. I told him before the game today that he’s got to be more mobile in terms of making runs when he doesn’t have the ball. Being a threat to go forward and use his speed and not simply to wait for the ball to come to his feet.
“I think it’s a growing process. There’s so much talent there, and he’s a player we hopefully will continue to see.”
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