Sun expected to shine on waterlogged U.S. soccer team

When the U.S. national soccer team arrived in Kansas City on Saturday ahead of its World Cup qualifier with Guatemala it was greeted by torrential rains and lightning -- conditions that forced some area college football games to be suspended.

It was the last thing the Americans wanted to see after sloshing their way to a 2-1 win over Antigua and Barbuda on a soggy, muddy and sandy cricket field in Antigua.

No worries, though, since the skies are expected to be clear by kickoff Tuesday at Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. And that news comes as a relief for U.S. striker Clint Dempsey.

“That’s a dynamic that you’re not really used to, only if you’re used to CONCACAF World Cup qualifying,” Dempsey said of playing on a makeshift soccer field during a rainstorm. “I can deal with a bumpy pitch. That’s fine. But when it’s waterlogged and there’s mud everywhere, that’s another story. It’s almost impossible to try to play. So that’s definitely frustrating.

“The pitch wouldn’t have been that bad if it wouldn’t have rained so much. But because of the rain and the sand that’s in the middle for cricket, it made for a mud pit. But all that aside, both teams have to deal with the same conditions. And it becomes a different type of game then what you’re used to.”

It was the national team’s first trip to Antigua but the Americans are quite familiar with the field at Livestrong, where the grass surface is considered to be one of the best in the U.S. The Americans will have another advantage Tuesday in that the game has been sold out for weeks, assuring a passionate pro-U.S. crowd.

The U.S. needs only a draw with Guatemala to assure itself a spot in the next round of regional qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. And though the Americans have admittedly stumbled in their semifinal matches, tying Guatemala in their first match and losing to Jamaica, midfielder Michael Bradley said the team is starting to gel. And should it advance, it could be a different story in next year’s hexagonal round of qualifying.

“It’s a work in progress,” he said. “In any team, it’s never a straight path to the top. For us, we’re all committed to what we’re doing and believe in what we’re doing. So we have good confidence that if we continue to work that it will come together.”

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