World Cup 2014 Qualifiers: United States Disappoints in 1-1 Tie with Guatemala

The United States International Soccer Team continues to disappoint in the 2014 World Cup Qualifications.

After a stressful 3-1 victory over Antigua and Barbuda in which the USA almost blew a 2-0 lead, the USA played an even more upsetting game against Guatemala, a team ranked 85^th on the FIFA rankings. The US, ranked 28^th by FIFA, got off to a great start by controlling the majority of play throughout the first half. The team would eventually be rewarded when forward Clint Demsey wove through sea of Guatemalan defensemen and fired a shot into the back of the net in the 40^th minute to give the US a well deserved 1-0 lead. It was Demspey's 27^th international goal.

However, the tide would turn in the 83^rd minute when the US's Fabian Johnson pulled down Guatemalan Carlo Ruiz right outside the penalty area. Moments later, Marco Pappa blasted a shot past US goalkeeper Tim Howard to tie up the match. Guatemala would seize the momentum and produce the only shot of stoppage time and wound up outshooting the US 13-11. The tie extends the US's unbeaten streak against Guatemala to 18 games since 1988.

The tie puts the United States into a tie with Jamaica for the lead in Group A. Both teams have four points, but the US is ahead on goal differential.

The US's run thus far in the World Cup qualifiers has been anything but what was expected from the red, white, and blue. Against Antigua and Barbuda, the team dominated play and jumped out to a strong 2-0 lead minutes into the game. But in the second half, their opponents fired back and cut the lead to just one. The US retook control and extended the lead, but never really dominated the game against a vastly inferior team. Guatemala may be a better team than Antigua and Barbuda, but there was never an expectation that the Central Americans would push the US to a draw.

The US will resume its qualifying play on September 7 when it plays against Jamaica. The two winners of the group will go onto a six nation regional final which will produce three World Cup qualifiers. The US is looking for its seventh straight World Cup qualification and it is highly expected the Americans and Mexicans will be two of the three teams representing the CONCACAF in Brazil in 2014.