Bob Bradley's run as US National Team coach received a giant boost thanks to Landon Donovan's three-goal day - his second career hat trick in the Red, White and Blue - giving the Americans a 3-1 victory on Sunday afternoon in Tampa.
Donovan kick-started the game with a goal just 35 seconds in when a failed clearance from Ecuador's Ivan Hurtado landed at his feet. One timing the bouncer, the Galaxy forward shot into the right side past a diving Rorys Aragon to give the US the lead.
If not for a fine goalkeeping effort from Tim Howard, Ecuador would have leveled the score in the 10th minute when an errant Carlos Bocanegra throw-in found its way to Ecuador midfielder Luis Valencia, who slotted Carlos Tenorio in behind the US back line with only Howard between him and goal.
The Everton keeper closed down the space and made a superb stop on the speedy forward, keeping the boys in yellow off the board.
A minute later, Edison Mendez sent a dangerous free kick into the area that Ulises de la Cruz headed just wide right, leaving the US defense looking unorganized and out of sorts.
The Ecuadorians finally made the US pay for their defensive short comings when Neicer Reasco took a seemingly harmless ball up the left side with Steve Cherundolo marking him. Cutting back inside, the Ecuador defender found Luis Caceido streaking through and the midfielder easily went past an out of position Oguchi Onyewu.
Though stumbling while running forward, the midfielder managed a weak effort that caromed off of Howard's foot and into goal as the US defense clumsily defended the effort.
In the 18th minute, Eddie Johnson failed even to make Aragon work following a cleared corner sent in by Donovan. The Kansas City forward launched a wide open loose ball from 15 yards out into the cheap seats behind the Ecuador goal, finishing with his head in his hands, certainly ruing the missed opportunity.
A bit of drama ensued when several Ecuadorian players accosted the linesman for failing to raise his flag on the play and referee Silviu Petrescu finally showed Luis Espinoza plastic for his efforts.
Midfield leader Valencia teamed up with Tenorio once again in the 22nd minute to cause some trouble for the US and though the speedy defender was able to slip through on the dribble, his shot was well wide of the mark.
On the other end the US was looking as unorganized as their defensive counter parts when a bit of miscommunication in the 25th led to Donovan trying to find Johnson wide while the speedy forward had cut in towards the goal.
Reasco then beat Cherundolo down the left side sending in a cross that fell to Valencia, but the midfielder's attempt was wide right. Two minutes later, DaMarcus Beasley missed an absolutely wide open chance directly in front of the goal, somehow putting a perfectly placed cross from Johnson into the stands.
Tenorio and Valencia worked their way into the US end again in the 32nd minute, with the latter slipping it into Felipe Caicedo alone on the right side. Jimmy Conrad, who put in another solid effort for the US, raced back however and blocked the midfielder's attempt.
Benny Feilhaber saved a strong header off the line from Caicedo off of a corner kick from Valencia in the 35th minute to keep Ecuador from doubling their tally which led to a counter attack for the US that ended with a free kick attempt from 40 yards. Cherundolo took the shot but his effort posed no threat for the opposing keeper.
In the 40th minute, the US had their chance to double their count when a Donovan cross from the right side found the head of Onyewu on the left side of the penalty area. The big defender headed for Ching who redirected with his head, taking a boot straight to the nose for his efforts while his shot went straight into Aragon.
The second half saw the first substitution of the game with Michael Bradley coming into the game for Johnson and the formation change would pay dividends for the US who dominated the second half.
Ching, who had returned just prior to the close of the 1st half much to the joy of the home crowd, tangled with Ivan Hurtado in the 48th minute. The Hawaiian got the best of the battle and the Ecuador captain had to be carried off the field.
The Donovan Show began in the 56th when he passed around Hurtado to himself and was taken down by the defender just outside the area. Donovan's free kick found Dempsey, but his hard shot was easily saved by Aragon.
Four minutes later, Donovan beat the defense on the right hand side and only a fantastic save from the Ecuador keeper kept the Californian from notching his second goal.
Finally in the 68th minute, a great ball from Brian Ching sprung Donovan free behind the Ecuador defense where this one-on-one battle finished differently when the one-time Bundesliga hopeful beat Aragon with a nifty hesitation and shot past the stranded keeper.
Two minutes later, Donovan made it three on the day when he took a pass on the run from Beasley and rocketed a shot into the top right corner, and moved into a tie with Brian McBride for second on the all-time scoring chart for the US.
Though the temperature on the field was hovering in the 120 degree range, the interim was obviously managing the game for a result and finally began to make changes in the 73rd minute when he brought on MLS superstar Taylor Twellman.
The New England attack man had little impact on the game and as Bradley and his counter part Luis Suárez made several more lineup changes in the game's closing minutes, the game lost the attacking flair that both sides had shown up to that point.
Petrescu finally whistled an end to the affair after four minutes of stoppage time giving Bob Bradley three wins in a row to begin his coaching tenure.
The US next face Guatemala in Dallas on Wednesday, while Ecuador prepares to face off versus Mexico in Miami. |
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