United States tops Trinidad and Tobago in World Cup Qualifying

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad -- 15 years later, the United States still knows how to spoil Trinidad's party.\nEddie Johnson kept up his incredible run of goals when he scored in the 30th minute; Eddie Lewis boosted the lead early in the second half, and the United States beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 Wednesday in the opener of the final round of World Cup qualifying.\nKasey Keller, who made a 23-hour trip from Germany on Monday to get to the game, made a sliding save on Leslie Fitzpatrick on a breakaway eight minutes into the second half that denied a tying goal. Keller also made several fine stops in the first half on Stern John and Dwight Yorke, playing his first official game for T&T since June 2001.\nLess than three weeks ago, the Americans didn't even know if they would have their top players or would send a team of minor leaguers because of a labor dispute. But an interim settlement ensured the regulars would be on the field through 2005, and the No. 11 U.S. team imposed its will on Trinidad and Tobago, ranked No. 61, until tiring in the final minutes.\n"It's massive," Keller said, "especially with all the drama that's gone on around the team. The guys came together and got a great victory."\nUntil Angus Eve scored in the 89th minute on a cross that went in off Keller's hand, the home team didn't have much to cheer for. The United States, which plays its next qualifier at Mexico on March 27, is 22-0-8 against North and Central American and Caribbean rivals since a September 2001 loss at Costa Rica. The Americans haven't lost to a Caribbean opponent since a 1994 defeat in Trinidad.\n"When you write the story of this game, there were a bunch of reasons why we couldn't be successful today," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. "We never agreed with that. I think the way our team pulled together over the last couple of weeks to be ready to play this game under difficult conditions -- travel, field conditions, the heat, everything else -- it turns out to be a fantastic result."\nAsh Wednesday usually is a beach day in this Caribbean nation, where the Carnival celebration that ends the previous night is huge. But the steel and samba drums were sounding for the Soca Warriors in the searing 90-degree heat at the Queen's Park Oval, with T&T hoping to continue the celebration and exact revenge for the November 1989 loss to the Americans that denied it a berth at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.\nJohnson struck in the 30th minute, just as Paul Caligiuri did 15 years ago in the famous qualifier at nearby Hasley Crawford Stadium, a game that put the United States in soccer's top event for the first time since 1950.\nComing down the right flank of the 80-yard-wide field, Steve Cherunoldo crossed the ball into the penalty area and the 20-year-old Johnson, with no defenders near him on the near post, headed the ball into the net from 12 yards out. Goalkeeper Neil Shaka Hislop had no chance.\n"The weight was already on the ball," Johnson said. "It was just about me redirecting it, and I thought I caught the keeper off guard."\nHe has six goals in just four international appearances and became the first player to score in each of his first four games with the U.S. national team. He matched William Looby (1955) and Brian McBride (2001) as the only player to score in four straight games and with six goals in qualifying already has tied Willy Roy for third on the career scoring list in qualifying behind Earnie Stewart (nine) and McBride (seven).\n"Bruce told me it's only going to get harder," Johnson said. "I'm not going to score a goal in every game. It was tougher. It's about taking advantage of the chances you get. I didn't get many chances today."\nNine minutes into the second half, Johnson passed the ball to Landon Donovan, who gave it to Lewis for a left-footed shot from about 23 yards out that easily went in. Arena credited Shaka Hislop for making several saves that kept the score close.\n"The game could easily have been 3- or 4-nothing," Arena said.