2009 Gold Cup: US - Honduras

Full-time - The Americans have been able to get themselves to their second cup final of the summer. The US are heading to their 3rd consecutive Gold Cup Final. Two goals at the end of each half was enough to hold off the Hondurans and advance.

Stuart Holden has been the key for the US. Man of the match by a mile for me. Tonight he gets the two assists in the 2-0 US victory. You have to think that Bob Bradley wants a player who can provide the quality service the Houston Dynamo midfielder is capable of. The whole US defence was solid tonight, and even Clarence Goodson was able to get on the score sheet tonight.

Brian Ching was also instrumental tonight, playing as the sole striker until Kenny Cooper was subbed on. The US will now head to Giants Stadium for the Gold Cup Final this Sunday against either Mexico or Costa Rica, who play later tonight.

90th- GOAL! Kenny Cooper! 2-0 USA! Ching back-heel to Holden’s first-time cross to Kenny Cooper . Cooper can’t miss right in front of the goal. Class by all three players. Cooper now has 4 goals for the US in just 7 appearances. I think it is fair to say that he is a super-sub.

88th- Cooper shows tremendous skill with a few step-overs to blow by the Honduran defenders before being taken down. Free kick for US, which is served well once again by Stuart Holden.

87th- Escobar foils Jay Heaps’ great effort from Stuart Holden’s corner.

86th- Davy Arnaud is being subbed off for Kenny Cooper.

84th- The US have turned to playing kickball for the remaining few minutes of the game. Costly then proves his worth as he receives the ball well on the penalty spot, but Perkins saves. George Welcome comes on for Chavez, and Honduras have one sub left.

82nd- Great ball movement by Honduras, but Carlos Costly has been terrible tonight as he wastes another chance with a chip.

81st- Ching has been such a physical presence tonight. He is doing the work up top as an isolated striker.

79th- Costly is getting tired, and it looks like Honduras will make a change. Espinoza is subbed on for Martinez. Martinez plays in Spain and it looks like he could well head back to Europe after tonight unless Honduras can come up with something.

77th- Santino Quaranta is subbed on for Robbie Rogers. Quaranta will be in the centre, and Holden will be pushed out to the left. Carlos Costly is then shown a yellow card for a disgusting dive.

76th- Holden takes a sly touch to get some space, has a 30 yard run, and tries an audacious chip from outside the area. Holden has been class throughout this entire tournament.

73rd- Goodson takes down Martinez. Martinez kicks ball at Arnaud, who is not 10 yards away. Davy Arnaud is then shown the yellow card. Nothing results from the free kick.

69th- Davy Arnaud is taken down in the Honduran final third. Holden takes the resulting free kick, but Morales looks to have leveled. Honduras gives the ball back to the US, fair play.

68th- Rogers wins a corner after some good movement from the US midfield. Holden takes the corner, which is cleared this time.

67th- Perkins comes out a grabs a well-weighted through ball from a sprinting Martinez.

63rd- An awkward clash of heads between Robbie Rogers and Medina. Both teams’ trainers get on the field, and both players are taken care of on the side of the pitch. No concussions, thankfully.

61st- Ching holds the ball up well, and the US are passing and keeping possession well. Short one or two touch passing by the US team.

58th- Martinez delivers a bullet into the box, but Troy Perkins is able to collect it.

57th- Holden drives it low, and it seems like Escobar is getting busier and busier by the minute. Logan Pause takes down Martinez, and Honduras is awarded a free kick from the left corner. Honduras players hopefully appeal for a second yellow for Pause, which is not given.

56th- Arnaud thunders a shot from just outside the box. Escobar is still up for the challenge, although his teammates don’t seem to be.

55th- Martinez also collects a wonderful ball, but Goodson has been dominant tonight and intercepts it.

53rd- Chavez is caught offside, by about a yard or two. Good timing from Goodson to get the line up.

49th- Chad Marshall almost puts away a corner, but Escobar gets down quick and makes the save. Wouldn’t that have been something if both centre-backs got on the score sheet?

48th- Beckerman is shown a yellow card for his a tackle on Chavez, seemed a bit innocuous to me.

47th- Beckerman gives it to Rogers, and the cross falls to Holden, who strikes it right at Escobar. US have come out with some illuminating football. I wonder what Bob Bradley said at half-time.

2nd Half Kickoff- Honduras have their heads down, but they’ll need some courage and class to get through to the final. Should be an interesting final 45 minutes. No substitutions.

Half-time- The US leads at the break after Goodson powers the Statesmen ahead of the Hondurans. Bob Bradley seems satisfied, but Bradley of all people will know that his team cannot be complacent. Not sure if any changes will be made though, as the US seems to have finally found some chemistry. Stuart Holden seems to truly be enjoying himself out there, as does Robbie Rogers. The US have had 7 shots, while Honduras has had only two.

45th- GOAL!!! 1-0 USA! Clarence Goodson scores off a wonderful header. The corner was served beautifully by Stuart Holden.

44th- Fleet-footed Robbie Rogers uses his pace to get behind the Honduran defence and have a strike on goal. Escobar parries it away for a corner.

43rd- Luckily for Honduras, their goalie Escobar is in tremendous form. Holden nearly scores, and then Ching hits the upright. Honduras will be happy to get to half with the score at nil-nil.

37th-  Logan Pause is shown the yellow card after committing a foul on Walter Martinez. The US fans think that is harsh, and I would have to agree.

25th- The game is not as lively as one would expect, as both teams seem to lack the spark of creativity needed to break the back and forth pattern. Some one need to take the initiative.

19th- After some great passing by the US, Escober luckily is able to clear the ball to safety. The US are putting the pressure on Honduras. But Marvin Chavez breaks on a counter and has a try on goal, which Perkins takes care of.

15th- Goodson comes close by pushing his way to get a header that is just off target. Goodson seems stuck in.

13th- Honduras wins a corner, but nothing comes from Marvin Chavez’s cross.

9th- Ching strikes a shot well but it goes off target

8th- Stuart Holden commits a foul on Carlos Alberto Palacios resulting in a free kick for Honduras

Kickoff- game starts with Jay Heaps heading a shot just off target

Pregame- US plays Honduras for the third time in two months. The US is using its ‘C’ team in this Gold Cup tournament, but the squad is filled with youngsters that have a lot of potential. However, Honduras has been on form and are hoping to get themselves to the Gold Cup final to play either Costa Rica or Mexico. We’re at Soldier Field in Chicago, where the US beat Honduras 2-1 last time around on June 7th in World Cup Qualifying.

US Starting Lineup -

Perkins

Heaps     Goodson         Pearce     Marshall

Rogers     Beckerman     Holden     Arnaud     Pause

Ching