It was an evening of firsts as a trio of young Europe-based Americans made their debuts in the United States' dismantling of China in front of nearly 21,000 in San Jose.
Charlie Davies, Kamani Hill and Lee Nguyen donned the US shirt for the first time, joining MLS based Sacha Kljestan who also received his first cap.
"[They] are players that are Olympic age as well, players that we think have shown with their club teams that they are capable of helping the Olympic team and the full national team," head man Bob Bradley later said about the four. "They all did a good job throughout the week and it was nice to get them their first caps."
Hamburg's Benny Feilhaber also notched a milestone, capping a fine display with the game winning goal - his first career international strike - and a late assist.
Bradley handed the captain's armband to Fulham defender Carlos Bocanegra, his first such stint for the US, in this, his 44th appearance.
Trotting out a 4-3-3 alignment, Bradly's troops nearly jumped out to the lead with less than a minute gone.
Ante Razov struck an early free kick with aplomb from just off the the right corner of the box on frame, but China keeper Chen Dong punched clear.
In the fourth minute the US went even closer to the grabbing the opener after Feilhaber thwarted a Chinese attack and laid off for Michael Bradley.
The coach's son played a piercing ball for Razov who crossed with both DaMarcus Beasley and Dempsey waiting, but Chen Dong was able to disrupt the pass just enough to end the threat.
The US would not be held back for long.
Bradley lofted a splendid ball to Beasley to beat the offside trap, putting the speedster in alone on Chen Dong. The PSV Eindhoven midfielder attempted to round the desperate keeper who clumsily brought down the former Fire man and Hugo Guajardo immediately pointed the spot.
Beasley, who entered the match with 12 strikes in his US career, added to that tally, drilling his spot kick past Chen Dong for the opener and his first international penalty.
China came right back to knot the score just five minutes later after a defensive lapse.
The strange play began with a harmless cross which was cleared straight up by the US defense, with Everton keeper Tim Howard initially hesitating while waving for a foul that would not come.
Ping-pong ensued before Manchester United youngster Dong Fanzhuo settled and shot on frame for which deflected out for Wang Peng to try his luck. It too was deflected, and this time it bounded back for defender Zhang Yaokun to drill home a postage stamp and China was level.
Thirteen minutes later, the US got the winner with help from a pair of newbies.
Kljestan sent Feilhaber in the clear and the UCLA product ran on and lobbed Chen Dong cleanly. Though seemingly headed for the net on its own, Zhang Yaokun made sure of matters by sending his attempted clearance with Agoos-like authority to the back of his own net.
With the crowd in full force over the next ten minutes, the US nearly doubled their lead approaching that half. Oguchi Onyewu, would-be provider, sent a great long ball for Dempsey but his finish was poor and sprayed it to Chen Dong's left.
Five mintues later Beasley supplied Razov with pass which was just a tad too strong and Wang Dong intercepted and cleared the last threat before Guajardo ended the half.
The second half began sloppily. China did little with the territorial advantage they held in the opening ten minutes of the half and did not trouble substitute Kasey Keller, while in the US end Jonathan Spector wasted an excellent run by Beasley with a cross to the keeper in the 53rd.
In the 65th Razov and Dempsey played a fortuitous give and go when the veteran's return pass somehow skipped over a quagmire of Chinese feet and fell back to the former Revolution attacker.
Dempsey's luck would run out, though, when he stumbled slightly before his shot, which trickled past Chen Dong out not nearly enough pace to threaten the goal line.
Moments later Hammarby striker Davies got his debut by replacing Ravoz, which was evidently cause for celebration as a Mexican wave immediately broke out.
Davies and Feilhaber then engineered a promising move, when the active HSV man stole possession at midfield before laying off for Davies who back-heeled for Dempsey, making a central run.
Dempsey, then started a quick give-and-go with Beasley, but again Chen Dong stoned the Fulham winger, this time from point blank range.
Moments later, hometown boy Hill was handed his debut by Bradley, coming in for Kljestan, and his first act as an international player would be to celebrate a goal.
"That was great!" beamed the VfL Wolfsburg man to YA following the match. "I grew up in this area and it was great to play - even this little bit - in front of my family and friends."
"Just making it on the roster is an honor, and it really has made this year more than I could have hoped for in my short career thus far."
Feilhaber, taking a corner from the left flag, but the ball nearly to the spot and this teim Dempsey would not be denied by Chen Dong as he headed home his seventh career goal to put the US up by two.
Three minutes later it was Onyewu's turn to take advantage of the Mystery Defense, when a Beasley free kick was met strongly by the Standard Liege defender, bringing a chorus of 'Gooooch' from the pro-US crowd.
Lee Nguyen would replace his PSV Eindhoven teammate Beasley five minutes later, and in his first action of any kind in months since undergoing shoulder surgery, he would help the US run out the clock and claim the well earned win.
"It was good just to get out there after the layoff," Nguyen said. "My fitness is still getting up there, but I was pleased with how I played in the time I had and the shoulder wasn't bothering me at all."
"I think that we got a lot out of this game," Bradley stated at the postgame press conference. "Anytime you play on this field in San Jose, the fact that it is a little smaller sharpens up a lot of things."
"Generally, I felt that there were a lot of good efforts. It is good for us, going into the Gold Cup, to get a game like this under our belts."
The US jump back into action next week when the Gold Cup begins at Victoria Street in Carson. |
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