Goals by Dooley, Wynalda Leave U.S. Team Unbeaten
For the U.S. national soccer team and its fragile defense, the prospect of facing Trinidad and Tobago’s vaunted “Strike Force” Sunday in a 1998 World Cup qualifying match didn’t bring much comfort.
Last week’s shaky opener against Guatemala at RFK Stadium had left Coach Steve Sampson with a headache and the heavily favored Americans almost with a tie. But on a frigid day at University of Richmond Stadium, the U.S. squad turned an excellent defensive effort into a 2-0 victory before 19,312, including many who waved red-and-black flags in support of the Caribbean visitors.
Sampson received a complete performance from his defensive corps.
Thomas Dooley came forward to score the go-ahead goal early in the second half and deftly patrolled the Americans’ end of the field. Alexi Lalas returned to top form after a rough few months, doing a superb job marking English Premier League star Dwight Yorke.
Washington D.C. United’s Jeff Agoos, playing as a left-side defensive midfielder, had what Sampson called “probably his best game ever for us.” And 22-year-old Eddie Pope, who scored the winning goal for D.C. United against the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer’s championship game last month, made a strong impression in his national team debut.
With forward Eric Wynalda adding to his all-time U.S. scoring record with a clinching goal in the 84th minute, the Americans improved to 2-0 in World Cup qualifying for the first time in history. They lead their four-team round-robin semifinal group and moved a step closer to advancing to next year’s six-team regional finals.
“I was very pleased with our effort today,” Sampson said, “but I don’t think we can afford to look at the standings yet. . . . We have to continue to work and improve to ensure more good results.”
Trinidad and Tobago fell to 0-2-1 and must win its final three games, starting Nov. 24 against the United States in Port-of-Spain, to have a chance of grabbing one of the semifinal group’s two berths in the next round.
Of its three semifinal opponents, the United States had feared Trinidad and Tobago the most because of its speed and technical ability, which threatened to cause havoc with the Americans’ unsteady defense. Instead, Dooley and Co. were composed throughout the match and permitted few threats against goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who earned another shutout.
Soccer Notes
In other games involving North and Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) nations, Jamaica routed St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 5-0, and El Salvador beat Panama, 3-2.
Canada and Mexico already have clinched spots in next year’s six-nation regional finals, with the U.S., Costa Rica and El Salvador closing in on berths and Jamaica and Honduras in a close battle for the other spot.
Three of the final six will qualify for the 1998 tournament in France after a round-robin, home and away tournament starting in January.
