CARSON, Calif. — Clint Dempsey's first-half goal gave the struggling United States team a 1-0 victory over Guatemala on Thursday in the opening round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
In the first competitive game for the Americans since their first-round World Cup exit last June, Dempsey scored off Taylor Twellman's assist in the 26th minute. That kept the United States undefeated in 20 group-play games of the Gold Cup. Twellman sent a cross from the left side to Dempsey just as he surged into the box for an easy goal.
It was the eighth national team goal for Dempsey, who plays for Fulham in England, and the second in a week. He also scored in a Saturday exhibition against China.
"It was good to get that goal (against) China. I hadn't been scoring for the U.S. in a while," Dempsey said. "I'm just running on confidence right now."
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Dempsey also had a near-miss in the eighth minute on a shot that went right of the goal. He was replaced in the 61st minute.
Bob Bradley won his first nonexhibition game as coach of the national team, but his players were outplayed in the second half against what should have been an overmatched opponent. He was 4-0-1 in exhibitions coming into the game; the one tie was with Guatemala.
"We hoped for more goals," Bradley said. "We had opportunities for the second goal. Had we scored the second, maybe it would have opened up."
The Americans were lively and dominant in the first half, but were often on their heels in a rough second half that saw central defender Oguchi Onyewu ejected with two yellow cards.
Star U.S. forward Landon Donovan temporarily left the game in the 70th minute after an apparent blow to the forehead. He and Guatemala's Carlos Ruiz traded shouts as Donovan went to the sideline, but he soon returned.
The U.S. team will play Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday in the second of three first-round matches.
U.S. 1
Guatemala 0
