Pulisic looking to run in on goal and has it just get away from him, but the USA has won this one 4-0 and rebounded well. It's all over here.
90' +3
Another corner.. this time Bradley curls it behind the goal.
90' +2
Pulisic wins a corner for the USA. Maybe one more?
DEMPSEY! Nearly! He got that on frame but a defender was in the way to head over.
90'
That goal pulls Altidore, I believe, to within one of Dempsey for the record of goals in qualifying games for U.S. players.
89'
J. Altidore has scored a goal for United States! Assist by C. Dempsey.
That will make it 4-0! Dempsey takes it off a defender and nearly wastes it, but gets it to Altidore for the finish.
Goal Jozy Altidore
88'
Long touch from Birnbaum, but a foul called gets him out of any pressure.
87'
Nice job by Bradley to simply win a foul and get the USA to get the ball clear.
86'
To be fair to Finlay, he was onside by a good bit. That was number four, but it doesn't count.
85'
Comfortable here in the final minutes for the USA. Finlay finished off the move.. but it was called back for offside. Tough break for him, getting on the end of a decent turned ball from Altidore.
84'
Yedlin repays the favor on a Guatemalan winger at the other end. No call.
Minute
Description
82'
Pulisic's first run on the ball sees him pushed to the ground. No call. Welcome to CONCACAF kid.
81'
C. Pulišić enters the game and replaces G. Zusi.
Substitution Graham Zusi Christian Pulisic
80'
Here he is! Pulisic comes in for the last 10 minutes, and that makes him a USA player! Already getting run for Borussia Dortmund at 17, and he becomes the youngest U.S. player ever in a WCQ.
79'
Marquez with a really nice shot for Guatemala, but Guzan gets down to make the save.
77'
Altidore running up top almost alone now. Dempsey dropping deeper and deeper as this goes on.
75'
Cameron has been fantastic in the middle tonight. Good for him. He deserves to get a nice long look in this team.
Finaly with a big breakout and wins a corner. Good strong move forward for him.
74'
L. Martínez enters the game and replaces G. Tinoco.
Substitution Gerson Betuel Tinoco Carbajal Luis Fernando Martínez Castellanos
72'
M. Bradley gets yellow.
Bradley picks up a booking. That'll keep him out of the next match for the USA.
Yellow card Michael Bradley
71'
E. Finlay enters the game and replaces G. Zardes.
Finlay on for Zardes. Zardes with as bad a two-assist performance as you can have, being that I'm not sure he knew much about the two assists. I wil give him credit for his work-rate on the night. Lot of running and really had some moments where he put the defense under pressure.
Substitution Gyasi Zardes Ethan Finlay
69'
Ethan Finlay is about to come on in front of the Crew faithful in Columbus.
67'
The other match in this group has T&T 3-0 up at the moment. That would leave the USA second in the group, one point better off than Guatemala.
66'
J. Altidore enters the game and replaces B. Wood.
Substitution Bobby Wood Jozy Altidore
65'
The biggest question in this game right now is really when will we see Christian Pulisic? This is a chance to cap-tie the youngster.
64'
The USA is sitting back a little now. Marco Pappa has something to do with that, he's been good this half, but it's also a matter of the USA just not pressing as much.
62'
Zardes with some good tracking back.
61'
Game not exactly bringing a bunch of excitement at the moment.
58'
Castillo with a lot of dribbling to come up with very little.
Now Beckerman and Ruiz with a little scrap in the middle. Those two know each other very well really.
57'
Guatemala getting a bit of the ball right now.
53'
To be fair to Jurgen Klinsmann, this is exactly the type of showing he's needed.
52'
Yedlin really having a nice night running down that right flank from the defense.
49'
Dempsey can't collect the ball cleanly but still tries to take it on as he slides and pushes his shot just wide.
48'
Here we go
So a great start to the second half for the USA. That should be enough to lock this result up barring something crazy happening.
47'
That's probably the best bad touch Zardes could have taken.
46'
C. Ruíz enters the game and replaces S. Cincotta.
M. Pappa enters the game and replaces M. Icuté.
G. Zusi has scored a goal for United States! Assist by G. Zardes.
IT"S 3-0!! Zusi with the finish out of nothing. Yedlin with the ball in, terrible touch from Zardes works out and Zusi finishes.
Substitution Manfred Noé Icuté Fuentes Marco Pablo Pappa Ponce
Goal Graham Zusi
Substitution Stefano Cincotta Giordano Carlos Humberto Ruíz Gutiérrez
45' +2
Deep hit from Guatemala flashes wide.
44'
OH MY! AGAIN! Wood played in by Bradley and rather than taking it on, tries to play it off to Zardes, it's bad.. really bad. Corner for the USA though.
43'
Oh my! Dempsey played in by Zardes, but he cuts back onto his left foot and rather than getting it to Bradley has it tackled away.
41'
Decent ball in from Zusi on the right, Dempsey can't get up high enough to head it on goal.
Castillo tries to break down the left. He's not having a great night.
39'
Wood with some good pressure wins it to Dempsey, who plays in Zardes, who in turn wins a corner. Nicely done.
37'
Bradley having a little spat in the middle of the pitch.
36'
G. Cameron has scored a goal for United States! Assist by M. Bradley.
Goal Geoff Cameron
35'
2-0! Cameron gets on the end of Bradley's free kick and heads it home. Good goal, and that's the bit of breathing space the USA needed.
34'
C. Jiménez gets yellow.
Shot for Guatemala. Easy touch and save for Guzan.
Good run from Wood. For all he lacks at times in terms of quality in his touch, he's all over the place and doing plenty of work with the ball tonight.
Yellow card Cristian Alexander Jiménez Martínez
29'
This time Dempsey gets the ball through to Zardes, but the Galaxy striker didn't hold his run long enough.
28'
Zusi and Dempsey trying to play the 1-2, with Dempsey going down under a late touch from a defender.
26'
Guatemala just looks completely shook at the moment. Still, just the 1-0 lead for the USA.
24'
A little bit sloppy from the USA trying to pass it out of the back. Castillo and then Birnbaum not really taking chances, and in Castillo's case taking a poor touch to give the ball away.
22'
Zusi and Bradley both pushing very high. Having Beckerman in the middle helps with cover, but it is leaving some gaps for Guatemala to play through when the ball is turned over.
20'
Birnbaum just took a toe to the face. looked painful. He's back up but on the sideline at the moment.
18'
Now the USA confidently moving the ball around. Dempsey caught offside as it comes forward, just drifting off the shoulder. Guatemala playing a dangerous game in pulling the line out, but now down 1-0 they'll have to do that more and more.
16'
Now it's Wood and Zardes making the same run. Wood tried to flick it on but was bundled over and the USA will have a set piece.
15'
Dempsey's goal came from Zardes breaking in behind and getting just enough of a touch to take off two defender, who both lost the ball as it sat back for Dempsey to lash home.
14'
That goal makes Dempsey the all-time leader in World Cup qualifying goals for the USA, overtaking Landon Donovan, and leaves him just eight behind Donovan on the all-time list, with Dempsey sitting on 49.
12'
C. Dempsey has scored a goal for United States! Assist by G. Zardes.
GOAL!!!!! Dempsey finishes it off! It's 1-0 here early on, and that's just what the doctor ordered for the USA,.
Goal Clint Dempsey
10'
Dempsey tries to slip Bradley through but had his pass blocked away, and this may be a moment of danger for the USA. Guatemala is going forward at times, but the USA has shown much more ability to take control of the ball tonight.
8'
More possession for the USA, but Yedlin forced to run down a ball after it's given away.
5'
Really good pressure from Zusi there. He's showing how much he wants to be in this team. Already a team looking like it came out ready to go tonight.
The real danger here for the USA is going to be getting hit on the break. It seems clear that Guatemala is content to sit a little deeper here on the road.
3'
Dempsey with a slick pass into Zardes who has it taken off him with a really good tackle. Nice move from the USA, and that type of quick play is what it'll take for the USA to open up a tucked in back line.
2'
Wood the first man to try and dart in behind the back line, but his first touch took the ball away from him.
1'
Here we go!
The USA in the new white kit with the baby blue sleeves on the top. Guatemala in the all-blue and moving right to left as I see it.
Hello and welcome in to the USA's vital World Cup qualifier against Guatemala. We'll be here throughout the night to take you through all the action.
What we have here tonight amounts to a full-on must win for the USA. A loss to Guatemala put the USA behind the eight-ball in this group, with the team now sitting third in the standings. A draw could also be enough in the long run, but a win puts the team firmly back in control of its own destiny.
Tonights lineup for the USA looks something like this: Guzan gets the start in goal, with Yedlin, Cameron, Birnbaum and Castillo making up the back line. Michael Bradley, Kyle Beckerman and Graham Zuzi make up the three-man midfield, with Clint Dempsey leading the three-man front line and being flanked by Zardes and Wood.
And for the visiting side tonight: Motta, Jimenez, Hernandez, Marquez, Tinoco, Contreras, Icute, Castrillo, Morales, Cincotta, Saravia
The story lines for this game are many, but the big talking points from the U.S. perspective are the job of manager Jurgen Klinsmann, and the possibility of missing out on the Hex all together with a loss tonight. Klinsmann is offering up a chance to Birnbaum, which comes as a bit of a shock, but he's got the talent to be a good partner for Cameron in the back. The German boss also went to some older heads in the form of Beckerman and Zusi to help solidify the midfield.
Another thing worth mentioning is that Landon Donovan, who may have an ax or two to grind, says that Klinsmann should be sacked if the USA doesn't win this game. He made those comments on the Dan Patrick show earlier today.
Well there's the halftime whistle. Dempsey and Cameron with the goals for the USA, and it looks like crisis averted for the time being.
So the USA goes second in the group and is right back on track for the Hex. Glad to have walked you through it. Goals from Dempsey, Cameron, Zusi and Altidore give the USA a comfortable win.
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