The United States looks to continue its perfect CONCACAF Gold Cup run when it faces El Salvador in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
The host nation is the only team with three wins in the group stage; all three of them were defining efforts. The opening two wins featured a total of 10 goals while the last match against Costa Rica featured a late goal from Brek Shea.
"You want to win the trophy," Coach Jurgen Klinsmann told ESPN. "You want to win the competition because it could get you to the Confederations cup in 2016 and those are the competitions you badly need in order to grow."
One of the main reasons for the American surge in the competition has been the confident poise of goal scorer Chris Wondolowski. The striker has scored five goals in the first two games; he has six international goals in his career.
"First of all, we are thrilled for Wondo that he scores goals. He was waiting a long time for that," Klinsmann said about the striker before offer some perspective on the situation. "Is the benchmark Belize and Cuba? No. And he knows that, he's realistic too. His benchmark is now coming up in the next couple of games."
The team will take on a Salvadorian squad that scored three goals and allowed three in three group stage games; the team won one, lost one, and drew one match in its run.
Prediction: The Americans are the favorites in this one and should have little difficulty dispatching El Salvador 2-1.
Start Time: 4 PM EST
TV: Univision, Fox Soccer Channel
Follow Live Score at ESPNFC.com.
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