COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Would you believe Dos A Cero?
Again?
Not only has the United States owned Mexico in World Cup qualifiers played at Columbus Crew Stadium, the USMNT always seems to win by the same magical score.
LIVE BLOG: MEXICO-US
How the night went for US
And 2013 would prove to be no different.
Jurgen Klinsmann's side shook off a sluggish first half, getting goals after intermission from Eddie Johnson (49th minute) and Landon Donovan (78th minute) to once again beat its rival 2-0. It's the fourth straight time (2001, 2005, 2009) that the USMNT has beat El Tri in a home qualifier by the same score, and all four matches were played in the friendly confines of Crew Stadium.
To make the night even more perfect for the United States, Honduras' 2-2 draw with Panama an hour later officially clinched the USMNT's trip to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
But things didn't come easy early for the Americans Tuesday. Mexico, playing for new coach Luis Fernando Tena after Chepo was fired over the weekend, had the better of play for much of the first 45 minutes. While it was El Tri setting the tempo and the home side reacting, when many had expected the opposite, USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard stood tall in the net and kept his side level with two key saves.
After halftime, though, it was all United States. Eddie Johnson, starting up top because of Jozy Altidore's yellow card suspension, finished off a header on a Landon Donovan corner kick in the 49th minute. That swung the momentum for good, and Donovan put the icing on the cake with a 78th-minute goal. Donovan took care of a low cross played through by Diskerud after it slid past Clint Dempsey, and the 2-0 scoreline that appeared destined had come to pass.
Clint Dempsey actually had a chance to make it 'Tres A Cero' in second-half injury time with a penalty kick, but he missed it wide. And when the smoke from the fireworks had settled after the final whistle moments later, none of the pro-USA crowd of 24,584 seemed to mind all that much. With a 2-0 score --again-- who could blame them?
In Columbus Crew Stadium, 'Dos A Cero' seems meant to be.
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