US loose to Guatemala in World Cup qualifier

The 2-0 victory at the Mateo Flores stadium on Friday night gave Guatemala six points from three matches, putting them in second place in Group C in the fourth round of qualifying in North and Central America (CONCACAF) for the 2018 World Cup.

Guatemala are one point behind Group C leaders Trinidad and Tobago. The US has four points, leaving them currently in third place in the group, ahead of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Central American side scored two goals in the first 15 minutes - by Rafael Morales and Carlos Ruiz. Their goalkeeper Paulo Motta prevented the US team from scoring on a dozen of occasions.

In the seventh minute Morales headed a corner off the back of Mix Diskerud and past US goalkeeper Tim Howard.

In the 15th minute, a long goal kick from Motta rolled untouched past the US defense, giving Ruiz his opportunity.

"The pitch was fast," Ruiz said. "So one bounce, I think Omar (Gonzalez) didn't see the bounce. I ran behind him and I was one-on-one with Tim Howard."

Disappointed Klinsmann

"For us it's obviously disappointing," said Klinsmann, admitting his US side made "too many mistakes."

"On the international level you cannot make the mistakes that led into the two goals, you simply cannot allow that," said the manager who, as a player, was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

"The second goal was a sequence of mistakes," Klinsmann added.

"We said at halftime let's turn this thing around," Klinsmann said. "There were enough chances to win the game, but we didn't put it in."

The US side has another opportunity to beat Guatemala in the return match next Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio.

jm/nm (AFP, dpa)