U.S. Routs Guatemala, 4-0

Chris Klein scored one goal and assisted on two others and Eddie Johnson took only 67 seconds to notch his ninth goal in 12 games for the national team as the United States routed Guatemala, 4-0, Sunday in an international soccer friendly at Frisco, Texas.

In a game played in near-freezing conditions in front of a crowd of 14,453 at Pizza Hut Park -- site of Major League Soccer’s championship match in 2005 and 2006 -- the U.S. dominated throughout.

Three goals in a nine-minute span on either side of halftime were enough to undo the Guatemalans, who suffered more in the frigid conditions than the Americans.

Klein got the rout started in the 38th minute with a long diagonal pass to fellow midfielder Ben Olsen, who rifled a dipping, 20-yard shot past goalkeeper Ricardo Jerez, a 20-year-old making his debut for Guatemala.

Brian Ching, one of several forwards fighting to make the World Cup roster, doubled the U.S. advantage seconds before halftime when he drove the ball past Jerez from close range, again off a Klein pass in the 45th minute.

“The first goal by Olsen was a terrific individual effort as well as a big goal psychologically in the game,” U.S. Coach Bruce Arena said. “Certainly, the second goal by Ching right at the end of the half basically put the game away.”

If not, then Johnson definitely did so 1:07 into the second half when he came into the game as a substitute.

Taking a pass from forward Chris Rolfe that a defender had failed to clear, Johnson eluded another defender before firing a rising shot into the roof of the net with the outside of his right foot.

It was Johnson’s first goal for the U.S. since March 2005 and showed that he has recovered completely from a right foot injury that had sidelined him for more than six months.

Guatemala, which was outshot, 20-5, had no answer to the U.S. onslaught and was always on the defensive. When it did attack, nine offside calls went against it, negating the offensive skills of striker Carlos Ruiz.

Klein finished the scoring in the 71st minute when he latched onto the rebound of a Rolfe shot and blasted the ball low through a crowd and into the back of the net to cap an impressive performance.

Klein had played poorly when used out of position as a right back in a 3-2 victory over Japan on Feb. 10 but looked far more comfortable when restored to his right midfield role Sunday.

“I think it was a good performance today by our team,” Arena said. “I think the Guatemalans gave us a really good game.”

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan started for the U.S. and kept Guatemala off the scoreboard for 80 minutes before making way for Zach Wells as both players made their international debuts. Also appearing in a U.S. uniform for the first time was defender Bobby Boswell, who came on as a late substitute.

Next up for the U.S. is a game against Poland on March 1 in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Jones reported from Los Angeles.