Salju Bikin Repot! AS Tekuk Costa Rica 1-0
Snow Problem! US Beat Costa Rica 1-0
Editor : Heru S Winarno
Translator : Parulian Manalu
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Denver (B2) - Amerika Serikat sukses melawan hambatan salju di lapangan untuk memaksakan kemenangan 1-0 atas Costa Rica dalam kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2014 zona Concacaf.
Bertanding di lapangan sendiri yang tak bersahabat akibat tutupan salju, Clint Dempsey menjaringkan bola ke gawang Costa Rica pada menit 16.
Gol itu sudah cukup membuktikan AS bisa mewujudkan instruksi harus menang dari pelatih Jurgen Klinsmann, setelah bulan lalu ambruk 1-2 dari Honduras pada laga perdana kualifikasi zona Amerika Utara dan Tengah (Concacaf), seperti dikutip Yahoo.
Tiga poin ini mengatrol AS ke posisi kedua di bawah Honduras yang imbang 2-2 melawan Mexico pada hari yang sama. Sementara Panama juga bermain seri dengan Jamaika 1-1.
Gol Dempsey yang memanfaatkan bola yang membentur pemain Costa Rica Jozy Altidore yang berusaha menahan tembakan Roy Miller ini adalah gol keduabelas dia pada kualifikasi Piala Dunia, menyamai rekor Landon Donovan selama kualifikasi Piala Dunia untuk AS.
Denver - The United States defied the difficulties of driving snow to get their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a 1-0 triumph over Costa Rica.
In a match put in jeopardy by blizzard conditions, which saw the grounds crew in a constant battle to keep the pitch clear enough for play, Clint Dempsey leapt on a deflection in front of the Costa Rica goal in the 16th minute and nudged the ball in.
It proved all the United States needed in a contest that had been billed a "must-win" by US coach Jurgen Klinsmann, after his team fell 2-1 at Honduras last month in their opening match in the six-nation final-round of qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).
The three points pushed the USA to second in the table behind Honduras, who erased a two-goal deficit en route to a 2-2 draw with Mexico on Friday.
Dempsey´s goal -- after Jozy Altidore´s shot deflected off Roy Miller -- was his 12th in World Cup qualifying, tying him with Landon Donovan for the most in qualifying for the United States.
