US prep for Gold Cup defence with 4-0 rout of Guatemala

NASHVILLE: The United States tuned up for their defence of the Gold Cup crown with a 4-0 friendly victory over Guatemala that left coach Juergen Klinsmann hoping for better.

“I’m kind of disappointed with a couple of things: moving off the ball, speed of play, urgency,” Klinsmann said on Friday. “Things we talked about before were not executed the way we wanted them to be executed.”

Timothy Chandler, Clint Dempsey from the penalty spot and Chris Wondolowski scored for the US – all three after Carlos Castrillo’s 19th-minute own goal gave the hosts a 1-0 lead.

That came minutes after Jozy Altidore missed a penalty for the US, and proved to be the only goal of the first half as Guatemala, also Gold Cup-bound, saw US goalkeeper Brad Guzan (pic) deny Carlos Mejia in the 36th and Wilson Lalin in the 39th.

“We gave some chances away that you can’t afford on a international level, it was just too easy. We didn’t create enough,” Klinsmann said.

The US, who made it to the last 16 at last year’s World Cup in Brazil, took control after the break.

Chandler doubled the score with a left-footed blast from outside the area in the 58th minute from a pass from DeAndre Yedlin out wide.

Dempsey, relieved of the captain’s armband this week after an altercation with a referee in a US Open Cup club match, lofted in a penalty in the 72nd minute after captain Michael Bradley was brought down in the box, where Castrillo dragged a leg over the American’s head.

Wondolowski completed the scoring in the 86th after Gyasi Zardes brought the ball through the left side of the box toward the end line and passed back for Wondolowski to fire home from close range.

Coming off two impressive friendly victories in Europe – 4-3 over Holland in Amsterdam and 2-1 over world champions Germany in Cologne – the US kick off their Gold Cup defence against Honduras in suburban Dallas on Tuesday.

“We have four days to prepare for Honduras. We expect a nasty game and an aggressive and difficult game,” Klinsmann said. “We definitely have to step it up.”

The Americans, who will also face Haiti and Panama in the group stage, will qualify for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia by retaining the title in the regional championship for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Guatemala are set to face Mexico, Cuba, and Trinidad and Tobago in Gold Cup group stage matches. — AFP