Gomez helps U.S. avenge loss to Jamaica

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Published on Wednesday, 12 September 2012 09:48

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Columbus, Ohio (ESPN): Spurred on by a roaring crowd decked out in red, white and blue, the United States used all of that emotion as fuel to pull off a significant World Cup qualifying victory. The U.S. rebounded from a loss at Jamaica four nights earlier and moved back into a tie for its group lead by beating the Reggae Boyz 1-0 Tuesday night as Herculez Gomez curled in a free kick in the 55th minute. It was a night when the only respite from the din from a capacity crowd of 23,881 was the moment of silence before the game in remembrance of the 11th anniversary of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"That was an awesome homecoming," Gomez said afterward, almost drowned out as fans left Crew Stadium chanting and cheering. "You couldn't ask for more. The crowd was great, and the guys fed off of it." The U.S., which made five changes to its starting lineup from Friday's 2-1 loss in Kingston, is tied with Guatemala (2-1-1) at seven points in Group A of the North and Central American and Caribbean semifinals. Jamaica (2-1-1) also has seven points but trails on goal difference.

The top two nations advance to next year's six-team regional finals, which will produce three qualifiers for the 2014 tournament in Brazil. Seeking its seventh straight World Cup appearance, the U.S. plays at virtually eliminated Antigua and Barbuda on Oct. 12, then completes the semis four days later against Guatemala at Kansas City, Kan. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann celebrated the win -- then moved onto the next hurdle. "We know it's not done yet," he said. "We know it's down to the wire. That's what World Cup qualifiers are about."

After hitting the frame three times in a dominant first half as goalkeeper Dwayne Miller made several sparkling saves, the U.S. went ahead following a foul by Rodolph Austin on Clint Dempsey. Gomez's drive from 28 yards went over the defensive wall and to the left of a diving Miller, who was only able to lightly brush the ball with his fingertips.

"That was my distance," Gomez said with a grin.

The instant the ball found the net, Gomez knew the gravity what it meant to his team's qualifying chances. "It was important for us to regroup after what happened in Jamaica," Gomez said. "We knew it wasn't our best performance, and we had to step forward and apply today. With the help of the crowd, we pushed deep and persevered. It wasn't always pretty, but I think we did it very well."

The rowdy, partisan crowd -- exactly what U.S. team officials were expecting -- chanted "U-S-A! U-S-A!" all night, but particularly while the American players came to the stands to thank them after the victory. The American players said they were thinking about the anniversary. Fans received small American flags to commemorate the anniversary and there was a moment of silence before kickoff. Klinsmann spoke after the game of having New York City firefighters talk to the team on Monday night. He said one related calmly of what it was like that day at the World Trade Center. "Everyone was aware," Klinsmann said of his players. "We all knew this was a very special day. The players were outstanding in how they handled it."

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