CONCACAF Gold Cup: United States 2, Honduras 0
As Santino Quaranta searched for an adequate description of the thoughts that raced through his mind after scoring the game-winning goal in Wednesday’s 2-0 victory for the United States over Honduras at RFK Stadium, U.S. head coach Bob Bradley, seated beside him in the postgame press conference, proudly patted Quaranta on the leg.
It was a gesture of a man who knows what Quaranta has overcome to make his triumphant return from addiction. But it was also the feeling of an entire community, which witnessed one of its own take another massive step forward in his recovery in his first match for the U.S. national team in more than three years.
“It was special,” said Quaranta, who last played for the U.S. in 2006, and is aiming for a roster spot for the 2010 World Cup. “To be able to do it in front of my wife, and my two kids was very special. That’s the most important thing to me. Bob said before we got on the bus, it’s only a game. I was trying to tell myself all day just to enjoy it, but it was difficult.”
“He has obviously worked hard in many different ways to be here tonight,” said Bradley. “That’s a very special part of the evening.”
The 24-year-old D.C. United midfielder said donning the U.S. jersey was more important to him than scoring, and he was nearly overcome during the national anthem. But his emotions were in check when Charlie Davies laid the ball off for a wide-open strike at the top of the box that ended an interminable scoreless deadlock in the 75th minute.
The U.S. team’s passage from CONCACAF Gold Cup group play into the tournament’s quarterfinals – and its 55th straight match without a loss against regional opponents – was secured four minutes later when Brian Ching nodded home Steve Cherundolo’s cross to send the U.S. fans into rapture and the mostly pro-Honduran crowd of 26,079 heading for the exits.
After a first half devoid of many clear chances, Bradley paved the way for the win by inserting his two available players from the recent run at the Confederations Cup in South Africa, Davies and Benny Feilhaber, midway through the second half.
They replaced midfielder Logan Pause and forward Freddy Adu, the latter who Bradley said was departing the U.S. camp after the match for a break before returning to Benfica, his club team in Portugal, later this month.
Davies and Feilhaber both made an immediate impact for the young U.S. team. Feilhaber sparked the play that led to the goal, combining with Ching on a give-and-go before finding Davies.
But the night fittingly belonged to Quaranta, who registered his first international goal.
“This means a lot to me,” said Quaranta. “To be able to play for your country; before, it didn’t mean as much to me as it does now. It’s very special to be a part of this.”
