U.S. men cruise to Gold Cup semifinals
Rout El Salvador 5-1; take on Honduras next
BALTIMORE – The passes were sharp, the defense sound and the goals plentiful.
The United States couldn’t have played much better, and the timing could not have been more perfect.
Clarence Goodson and Joe Corona scored during an eight-minute span of the first half, and the U.S. cruised past El Salvador 5-1 Sunday to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Eddie Johnson, Landon Donovan and Mix Diskerud added second-half goals for the Americans, who will play Honduras in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday night.
Honduras beat Costa Rica 1-0 on Sunday night as part of a doubleheader before a sellout crowd at the home stadium of the Baltimore Ravens.
Assists aren’t an official statistic in the Gold Cup, but Donovan set up three scores in a dazzling performance.
“I think Landon proved again today how valuable he is and how he can make a difference,” coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “Overall, we see our team clicking more and playing better and better.”
The U.S. has won nine straight full internationals – a record for the country’s national team.