U.S. Men’s National Team hosts Guatemala tonight, looks to advance to final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying

The U.S. Men’s National Team, coming off a 2-1 victory against Antigua & Barbuda on Friday, looks to advance to the Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifying when it hosts Guatemala at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at sold-out LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. Coverage of the USA’s final Group A match on ESPN2 begins at 5:30 p.m., and the match will also be shown live on WatchESPN and TeleFutura.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – DETAILED ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3) : Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (6) : Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Maurice Edu (Stoke City), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland)
MIDFIELDERS (6) : Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Roma), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4) : Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Herculez Gomez (Santos Laguna), Alan Gordon (San Jose Earthquakes), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC)

FINAL ROUND QUALIFYING SCENARIOS: The top two teams in Group A qualify for the Final Round and the U.S. can guarantee advancement with a win or a draw against Guatemala, and could also advance with a loss. The USA and Guatemala are atop Group A with 3-1-1 records, 10 points and are tied in goal differential and goals scored. Jamaica is still alive with seven points, while the Reggae Boyz final opponent, Antigua & Barbuda, was eliminated after Friday’s loss to the U.S. Below are the qualifying scenarios for the United States:
U.S. Win

• U.S. wins Group A with 13 points and qualifies for Final Round
• Guatemala finishes with 10 points and must await result of Jamaica-Antigua

U.S. Tie

• U.S. finishes tied with Guatemala atop Group A with 11 points and both countries qualify for Final Round

U.S. Loss AND Jamaica Tie or Loss

• Guatemala wins Group A with 13 points and qualifies for Final Round
• U.S. finishes in second place in Group A with 10 points and qualifies for Final Round
• Jamaica finishes in third place (with 7 or 8 points) and does not qualify for Final Round

U.S. Loss AND Jamaica Win

• Guatemala wins Group A with 13 points and qualifies for Final Round
• U.S. and Jamaica finish tied on points with 10 each and qualified team is determined with tiebreakers (see below)

TIEBREAKERS: Here are the tiebreakers if two teams are equal in points:

• a) Greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;
• b) Goal difference in all group matches;
• c) Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches;

If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria, their rankings shall be determined as follows:

• d) Greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
• e) Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
• f) Greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned;
• g) The goals scored away from home count double between the teams concerned (if the tie is only between two teams)

GROUP A STANDINGS

Group A Schedule
June 8
USA 3, Antigua & Barbuda 1
Jamaica 2, Guatemala 1

June 12
USA 1, Guatemala 1
Antigua & Barbuda 0, Jamaica 0

Sept. 7
Jamaica 2, USA 1
Guatemala 3, Antigua & Barbuda 1

Sept. 11
USA 1, Jamaica 0
Guatemala 1, Antigua & Barbuda 0

Oct. 12
USA 2, Antigua & Barbuda 1
Guatemala 2, Jamaica 1

Oct. 16
Guatemala at USA
Antigua & Barbuda at Jamaica

CONCACAF SEMIFINAL ROUND: GROUP B AND C
The Semifinal Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying for CONCACAF consists of three groups of four teams each, comprised of the top six seeds (USA, Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Cuba) being split into three groups and joined by six previous group winners from the second round (Panama, Canada, El Salvador, Antigua & Barbuda, Guyana, Guatemala). The top two teams from each group advance to the Final Round, with that stage to be played from February through October 2013. The top three teams automatically qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while the fourth-place team would then play a two-game playoff against the champion of the Oceania region to determine the other World Cup-bound team.

Two teams have already qualified for the Final Round: Mexico and Panama.

GROUP B STANDINGS

*Qualified for Final Round

Group B Schedule
June 8
Mexico 3, Guyana 1
Costa Rica 2, El Salvador 2

June 12
Mexico 2, El Salvador 1
Costa Rica 4, Guyana 0

Sept. 7
Mexico 2, Costa Rica 0
El Salvador 2, Guyana 2

Sept. 11
Mexico 1, Costa Rica 0
El Salvador 3, Guyana 2

Oct. 12
Costa Rica 1, El Salvador 0
Mexico 5, Guyana 0

Oct. 16
Mexico vs. El Salvador
Costa Rica vs. Guyana

GROUP C STANDINGS

Group C Schedule

June 8
Panama 2, Honduras 0
Canada 1, Cuba 0

June 12
Honduras 0, Canada 0
Panama 1, Cuba 0

Sept. 7
Honduras 3, Cuba 0
Canada 1, Panama 0

Sept. 11
Honduras 1, Cuba 0
Panama 2, Canada 0

Oct. 12
Canada 3, Cuba 0
Panama 0, Honduras 0

Oct. 16
Cuba vs. Panama
Honduras vs. Canada

U.S. MNT 2012 SCHEDULE

*2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying

ROSTER NOTES

• Fabian Johnson will not join the team in Kansas City as previously planned, as the defender has not fully recovered from a recent bout with the flu.
• Jermaine Jones is not available for the match against Guatemala due to yellow card accumulation. Jones traveled back to Germany on Saturday.
• Eddie Johnson posted the USA’s second individual multi-goal effort of the year with both tallies in the 2-1 win against Antigua & Barbuda on Friday. The team’s other multi-goal performance was Landon Donovan’s hat trick on May 25 in the team’s 5-1 win against Scotland in Jacksonville, Fla.
• Michael Bradley returned to the starting lineup against Antigua & Barbuda after missing the previous two qualifiers against Jamaica because of a muscle injury that sidelined him for four weeks.
• U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra started at left back against Antigua & Barbuda. He played that spot in the final 30 minutes of the teams’ first meeting in June.
• Alan Gordon earned his first international cap with the U.S. when he came on as a substitute in the 73^rd minute against Antigua & Barbuda. Gordon also earned his first points for the MNT when he provided the assist on Johnson’s game-winning goal.
• The U.S. improved to 4-0-0 playing at cricket ground since 2000.
• Clint Dempsey has scored in three of five World Cup qualifiers in this round, with two of the goals coming on the road. Herculez Gomez has scored two goals, including the game-winner against Jamaica on Sept. 11 in Columbus.
• Four players have appeared in all five World Cup Qualifiers in this round: Dempsey, Gomez, Tim Howard and Jermaine Jones.
• Howard sits in second place all-time for victories among U.S. goalkeepers (34) and third in shutouts (29). He has nine clean sheets in 21 World Cup Qualifying appearances.
• Sporting Kansas City midfielder Graham Zusi is in first place in assists in Major League Soccer this season with 15. Zusi’s assist on Eddie Johnson’s first goal against Antigua on Friday was his first with the National Team.
• With his appearance in the World Cup qualifier against Jamaica on Sept. 11, Danny Williams officially became tied to U.S. Soccer.
• Donovan, Brek Shea and Edgar Castillo, who were originally named to the 24-player roster, were ruled out of both World Cup qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda and Guatemala. Donovan has a knee injury and Shea an abdominal strain, both suffered prior to joining camp in Miami. Castillo is out with a foot injury following an MRI evaluation last Wednesday. No replacements were named to the roster.
• Four players on the roster are currently involved in European competition. Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht) and Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland) are in the Champions League, while Steve Cherundolo (Hannover) and Dempsey (Tottenham) are in the Europa League.

QUALIFYING IN KANSAS CITY

• Tuesday’s match will mark the USA’s third World Cup qualifier in Kansas City.
• On Nov. 2, 1968, Peter Millar scored three goals to lead the USA to a 6-2 victory against Bermuda in a World Cup qualifier at Municipal Stadium. Gerry Baker added two tallies and Willy Roy also chipped in with a goal.
• On April 25, 2001, the U.S. defeated Costa Rica 1-0 on April 25, 2001, at Arrowhead Stadium, with Josh Wolff scoring the game’s lone goal.

USA vs. GUATEMALA

• The U.S. is 12-4-6 against Guatemala. The series started in 1977, and Guatemala won the first four matches of the series with all of the games taking place in Guatemala City.
• Since the USA’s 1-0 loss to Guatemala on Jan. 10, 1988, the team has posted a 17-game unbeaten streak (12-0-6).
• The most recent meeting between the two countries was the second match of qualifying on June 12 this year when they played to a 1-1 draw at Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City.
• In that match, Clint Dempsey gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute, but Guatemala’s Marco Pappa scored on a free kick in the 83rd minute en route to the draw.
• The U.S. is 6-0-5 against Guatemala in World Cup qualifying matches.
• The USA has a 3-0-0 record and has not allowed a goal against Guatemala in CONCACAF Gold Cup matches. The most recent Gold Cup match was the USA’s 1-0 opening-round victory on June 7, 2007, where Dempsey scored the lone goal in the 26th minute and the U.S. played the final 18 minutes shorthanded because of Oguchi Onyewu’s second yellow card.

DISCIPLINARY BREAKDOWN

• USA midfielder Jermaine Jones is suspended for Tuesday’s game after he picked up his second yellow card of the tournament. Jones was booked for a hand ball in the 62nd minute of Friday’s game against Antigua.
• Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Fabian Johnson and Graham Zusi, each carrying a yellow card heading into Friday’s match, are all available options for Jurgen Klinsmann on Tuesday.
• Guatemala will have its full roster heading into the last Semifinal Round match of qualifying. Marco Ciani, Jose Contreras, Jonathan Lopez, Mynor Lopez, Marco Pappa and Carlos Ruiz are each sitting on one caution.

USA’S RECENT SEMIFINAL ROUND QUALIFYING BREAKDOWNS
Here is a breakdown of the USA’s previous four Semifinal Rounds through five games:

• 1996 (for 1998 FIFA World Cup): The USA had a 4-1-0 record through five matches and qualified after its fifth game with a 2-1 victory against Costa Rica on Dec. 14, 1996. The USA rebounded from its previous 2-1 loss to Costa Rica on Dec. 1 after opening the round with three shutout victories. With a 2-2 draw against Guatemala in the final match on Dec. 21, the U.S. won the group one point ahead of Costa Rica. Final record: 4-1-1 (13 points)
• 2000 (for 2002 FIFA World Cup): The U.S. had a 2-1-2 record through five games and went into its final game needing a victory against Barbados. The USA won 4-0 with all four tallies coming in the second half, including a Clint Mathis strike in the 63rd minute that proved to be the game-winner. A big turning point for the U.S. came in the fourth match as Brian McBride scored a 72nd-minute goal to upend Guatemala 1-0 on Sept. 3, 2000, at RFK Stadium to boost the U.S. into second place in the group behind Costa Rica. Final record: 3-1-2 (11 points)
• 2004 (for 2006 FIFA World Cup): The U.S. MNT posted a 3-0-2 record and advanced through the Semifinal Round after its fifth match – a dominant 6-0 win against Panama on Oct. 13, 2004, that featured an Eddie Johnson hat trick and two goals from Landon Donovan. Johnson then scored the lone USA goal in a 1-1 draw against Jamaica in the final group match on Nov. 17. Johnson had five goals in the Semifinal Round. Final record: 3-0-3 (12 points)
• 2008 (for 2010 FIFA World Cup): The USA needed only four games to advance, posting wins against Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago and two wins against Cuba, including the 6-1 clincher on Oct. 11, 2008. Through five games, the USA was 4-1-0 following a 2-1 loss to Trinidad, but capped off the Semifinal Round with a 2-0 win against Guatemala on Nov. 19. Final record: 5-1-0 (15 points)

IN THE RECORD BOOKS

• Eddie Johnson tied Brian McBride for second all-time in World Cup Qualifying goals with 10. Landon Donovan holds the U.S. MNT record with 12. Earnie Stewart is fourth with nine goals and Clint Dempsey ranks fifth with eight goals.
• Dempsey has the two fastest goals in World Cup qualifying history for the United States. His goal 35 seconds in against Jamaica on Sept. 7 supplanted his own record of 53 seconds that he set in the 8-0 win against Barbados on June 15, 2008, at The Home Depot Center.
• Dempsey, who has 28 career goals, is two behind third-place McBride (30).
• Tim Howard moved into a tie for third place all-time in U.S. MNT goalkeeper caps with his 82nd appearance, matching Brad Friedel’s career total from 1992-2004. Howard made his 10th start of the year to tie for the team lead with Jermaine Jones.
• The USA improved to 8-2-2 this year and holds the best winning percentage (0.75) since its 13-3-4 (0.75) performance in 2005.
• The U.S. MNT moved to 19-11-11 all-time on the road against CONCACAF island nations with Friday’s first road match and victory against Antigua & Barbuda.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• 3: Goals by Clint Dempsey to lead the USA in Semifinal Round qualifying
• 6: Shutouts by the USA in 2012 for a 5-0-1 record
• 7: One-goal decisions for the U.S. in 2012 (6-0-1)
• 10: Career goals in World Cup qualifying for Eddie Johnson
• 30: Career caps in World Cup qualifying for Carlos Bocanegra, fourth on the USA’s all-time list
• 32: USA’s current FIFA ranking
• 81: Guatemala’s current FIFA ranking

JURGEN KLINSMANN FACT FILE: Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is in the midst of his second year and first full calendar year in charge of the U.S. Men’s National Team. Below are some of his past accomplishments as a player and coach.

• Klinsmann was named the U.S. Men’s National Team head coach on July 29, 2011, making him the 35th coach in the history of the program.
• Klinsmann’s record as head coach of the Men’s National Team is 10-6-3, and he led the team on a five-game winning streak that started with a 3-2 victory on Nov. 15, 2001, against Slovenia and was capped off by a 5-1 win against Scotland on May 26, 2012.
• Klinsmann’s U.S. coaching debut was a 1-1 draw against Mexico on Aug. 10, 2011, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. During Klinsmann’s abbreviated 2011 tenure, opponents outscored the USA by a 7-5 margin. The USA’s two victories during the Klinsmann era in 2011 include a 1-0 win against Honduras (Oct. 8) and a 3-2 victory against Slovenia (Nov. 15).
• Klinsmann was named the Germany National Team manager in 2004 and guided Germany to a 20-6-8 record and a third-place finish in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He earned Coach of the Year honors in Germany, and two years later, he took over the head coaching position at Bayern Munich.
• As a player, Klinsmann played 17 club seasons from 1981 to 1998 with the following teams: Stuttgarter Kickers (1981-84), VfB Stuttgart (1984-89), Internazionale (1989-92), Monaco (1992-94), Tottenham Hotspur (1994-95, 97-98), Bayern Munich (1995-97) and Sampdoria (1997-98). During that time, he scored 226 goals in 506 appearances. He was named German Player of the Year in 1988 and 1994 and FWA Footballer of the Year in 1995.
• Klinsmann earned 108 caps with the German National Team, scoring 47 goals. He participated in three World Cups (1990, 1994 and 1998) and won the 1990 World Cup.
• Klinsmann was born on July 30, 1964, in Goppingen, Germany.

IN FOCUS: GUATEMALA
Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala
Founded: 1919 (Joined FIFA in 1946)
Head Coach: Ever Hugo Almeida
Best World Cup Finish: Never qualified in 11 attempts

GUATEMALA UPDATE

• Guatemala opened the Semifinal Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying with a 2-1 loss to Jamaica on June 8 in Kingston, Jamaica. After drawing the USA 1-1 on June 12, Guatemala defeated Antigua & Barbuda in back-to-back matches on Sept. 7 and 11, with 3-1 and 1-0 wins, respectively. Most recently, Guatemala edged Jamaica 2-1 on Oct. 12 in Guatemala City.
• Guatemala forward Carlos Ruiz has accumulated 100 caps, and with 54 goals is the country’s all-time leading scorer. He has already tallied five times in six qualifiers in this cycle, and has the game-winner in each of their three wins in this round. El Pescadito scored 24 goals for Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy in 2002, leading the team to the MLS Cup and garnering MLS MVP honors that year. Ruiz also played for Toronto FC in 2008 and the Philadelphia Union in 2011 before making the move to Veracruz.
• Midfielder Marco Pappa played for the Chicago Fire from 2008 to this year, transferring to SC Heerenveen in August. Pappa had a career-high eight goals in MLS play in 2011.
• Mario Rodriguez scored three goals to tie for the team lead along with Freddy Garcia during last year’s second-round qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
• Guatemala progressed to the CONCACAF Final Round during qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but could not advance further. The team is still in search of its first FIFA World Cup appearance.

GUATEMALA ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Ricardo Jerez Jr., 12-Christian Alvarez, 21-Jaime Carbajal
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Ruben Morales, 3-Elias Vasquez, 4-Erwin Morales, 5-Wilson Lalin, 13-Claudio Albizuris, 23-Jonathan Lopez
MIDFIELDERS (8): 6-Wilfred Velasquez, 7-Marco Tulio Ciani, 8-Gonzalo Romero, 11-Jose Manuel Contreras, 14-Sergio Trujillo, 15-Manuel Leon, 16-Marco Pappa, 18-Carlos Figueroa
FORWARDS (6): 9-Henry Lopez, 10-Mario Rodriguez, 17-Dwight Pezzarossi, 19-Lester Ruiz, 20-Carlos Ruiz, 22-Minor Lopez
LAST TIME
On the field for USA:
Oct. 12, 2012 – Sir Vivian Richards Stadium – North Sound, Antigua – 2014 World Cup Qualifier, Group A
USA    2    Eddie Johnson 20, 90
ATG    1    Dexter Blackstock 25

LINEUPS:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 21-Clarence Goodson, 20-Geoff Cameron, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.); 19-Graham Zusi (16-Sacha Kljestan, 78), 14-Danny Williams (13-Jermaine Jones, 56), 4-Michael Bradley, 18-Eddie Johnson; 8-Clint Dempsey, 9-Herculez Gomez (17-Alan Gordon, 73)
Subs not used: 2-Michael Parkhurst, 5-Kyle Beckerman, 7-Maurice Edu, 11-Joe Corona, 12-Brad Guzan, 22-Nick Rimando
Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

ATG: 18-Molvin James; 5-Marc Joseph, 17-George Dublin, 11-Quinton Griffith, 20-Akeem Thomas, 19-Luke George, 3-Zane Francis-Angol, 14-Randolph Burton, 16-Peter Byers (9-Stefan Smith, 89), 13-Tamorley Thomas, 23-Dexter Blackstock
Subs not used: 1-Brent Mohammed, 21-Keita De Castro, 22-Hazel Pyle, 4-Karanja Mack, 8-Troy Dublin, 12-Moses Ashikodi, 10-Tevaughn Harriett, 7-Kimol Alexander
Head coach: Tom Curtis

Vs. Guatemala
June 12, 2012 – Estadio Mateo Flores – Guatemala City, Guatemala – 2014 World Cup Qualifier, Group A
USA    1    Clint Dempsey 40
GUA    1    Marco Pappa 83

LINEUPS:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 21-Clarence Goodson (20-Geoff Cameron, 46), 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 23-Fabian Johnson; 7-Maurice Edu, 4-Michael Bradley, 13-Jermaine Jones; 10-Landon Donovan (14-Kyle Beckerman, 90+3), 8-Clint Dempsey, 9-Herculez Gomez (17-Jozy Altidore, 64)
Subs not used: 2-Michael Parkhurst, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 11-Joe Corona, 12-Brad Guzan, 16-Jose Torres, 19-Chris Wondolowski
Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

GUA: 1-Ricardo Jerez Jr.; 4-Erwin Morales, 5-Carlos Gallardo, 14-Luis Rodriguez, 3-Elias Vasquez; 6-Wilfred Velasquez, 11-Jose Manuel Contreras (15-Manuel Leon, 46), 18-Carlos Figueroa (16-Marco Pappa, 46); 10-Mario Rodriguez (17-Dwight Pezzarossi, 46), 20-Carlos Ruiz, 19-Marvin Avila
Subs not used: 2-Rafael Morales, 7-Jose del Aguila, 8-Gonzalo Romero, 9-Jairo Arreola, 12-Paulo Cesar Motta, 13-Alejandro Galindo, 21-Juan Paredes, 22-Minor Lopez, 23-Jonathan Lopez
Head coach: Ever Hugo Almeida