SOCCER : Murray Gets His Goal and U.S. Gets 2-2 Tie

Having been injured and absent for four games, midfielder Bruce Murray has had the time and distance to observe the U.S. national soccer team. Some element was missing from the team that has struggled but managed to tread water.

Murray might have concluded after Wednesday night’s match against the Canadian national team that he was the answer to the team’s woes. Murray’s goal, off a penalty kick, saved the U.S. from defeat but gave the team yet another tie, 2-2, before a crowd of 5,743 at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.

The United States is 1-1-4 this year. Murray’s goal, in the 64th minute, gives him 21, the most for any U.S. player in international competition.

After having endured weeks of therapy to rehabilitate a severe strain to his lower back, Murray returned to the lineup Wednesday night, as a player rededicated to his job--scoring.

“I think there has been a leadership void on this team right now, as far as (U.S.) players in Europe,” he said. “I think what the team needs is goals.”

Murray is the most experienced player on the team, having appeared in 81 full international competitions. That experience, he said, puts him in a leadership position.

That claim to leadership led to the tying goal. Jean Harbor was pulled down in the penalty box by Canadian defender Mark Watson. The United States was awarded a penalty kick.

Soccer etiquette calls for the player who feels most confident to step up and take the kick. Both Joe-Max Moore and Murray had the same feeling, which, according to Murray, elicited this exchange:

Moore: “Let me take it.”

Murray: “No.”

Moore: “Are you serious?”

Murray took the kick, got the goal and made his point.

“I think I need to be more vocal on this team,” Murray said. “I need to get in the best shape of my life and set an example. I’m very thankful that I came back from this injury. Quite frankly, I thought I’d never play again.”

Murray was needed in the first half, when the United States looked good early, but only briefly. Chris Henderson took the ball up the left wing and passed to Harbor. Harbor outran Canadian defender Mark Watson and crossed to a tumbling Dominic Kinnear, who scored off his left foot.

That shot, plus one more, represented the total shots on goal for the United States in the first half as the team had trouble maintaining possession.

The Canadian team tied the game in the 14th minute. Dale Mitchell lofted the ball over a three-player U.S. wall and Steve McDonald scored on a header past Tony Meola.

Canada scored again in the first half when Mitchell got behind defender Fernando Clavijo and crossed the ball to John Catliff. Catliff beat Meola, who had gone the other way to defend Mitchell.

Meola stopped a lightly struck penalty kick from Mitchell in the 15th minute.

Meola was one of four U.S. players substituted for in the second half, and the fresh legs outpaced the weary Canadians early in the second half. Canada was yellow-carded twice in the second half and overall committed 25 fouls to the Americans’ 19.