US Seeks Revenge, Quarterfinals

Tonight, the U.S. national team returns to the scene of the crime. On Sept. 1, 2001, a confident and athletic Honduras side defeated the Americans, 3-2, in a back-and-forth World Cup qualifier played before a raucous, pro-Honduran crowd at RFK Stadium in Washington.

That was the low point. The U.S. went on to qualify and advance all the way to the quarterfinals the following summer in South Korea, while los Catrachos stayed home. And the Nats haven't lost on U.S. soil to a CONCACAF opponent since then, compiling an amazing 44-0-10 record. Even though defender Steve Cherundolo is the only American who played in that 2001 game who's on the current CONCACAF Gold Cup roster, a victory over Honduras tonight at RFK would be pretty sweet, and would put the U.S. in position to win Group B and avoid Mexico in the upcoming quarters and semis.

"They are a tough team," Cherundolo said yesterday of Honduras. "They are doing well in World Cup qualifying and we expect a difficult game that is going to require us to go hard for 90 minutes. We want to win, especially here at home. We're expecting a tough game but we're optimistic that we can come out on top. The winner of tomorrow's game will certainly put themselves in position to win the group and that's our goal."

The U.S. closes out first round play against Haiti on Saturday in Foxborough.

Cherundolo and his teammates weren't tested in their opener against Grenada on July 4, an easy 4-0 win. Columbus Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers ran riot, and Freddy Adu scored a goal that certainly will boost his confidence. Both will be playing in front of well-wishers tonight. Adu grew up in neighboring Montgomery County, Md. after moving from Ghana as a boy, and Rogers attended the University of Maryland. They are among six U.S. players with D.C.-area ties: D Clarence Goodson is from Northern Virginia and also attended Maryland, goalkeeper Troy Perkins played for D.C. United before transferring to Valerenga, MF Kyle Beckerman is from the Maryland suburbs east of the city and MF Santino Quaranta is a Baltimore native who now plays for United.

Beckerman said representing his country at RFK was a "dream come true," while Quaranta said he's been "getting calls from people I haven't talked to in a few years." Adu said he has more than 100 friends and family planning to attend.

All of that should provide a more welcoming atmosphere than the U.S. faced in 2001, when the U.S. Soccer Federation's effort to channel tickets to U.S. fans, and push the Hondurans to RFK's upper deck, only slightly mitigated the visitors' "home field" advantage. The U.S. has been quite careful about where they schedule home qualifiers since then, and the results have validated that policy. They also have impressed Reynaldo Rueda, the Colombia who has coached Honduras since 2006.

"For me, there has always been an effort to develop a permanent soccer culture in the United States," he said yesterday. "What you have to admire about the United States is that constant evolution and development in everything they do. They proved that in the Confederations Cup. It was a manifestation of all the excellent development going on here, both in the leauge and with the Federation. The product is the players -- more than 50 players in the various divisions of Europe and a great national team that through a lot of hard work, has advanced."

Rueda said other CONCACAF nations can learn from the "discipline and the respect" shown by U.S. teams. "We learn the togetherness and the intelligence with which they approach each game," he said.

U.S. coach Bob Bradley didn't disappoint, saying: "Regardless of anything else, we always prepare for our opponent. We always have respect for what they're all about. Honduras has a lot of talent and we certainly expect this to be a competitive game."

Whether or not Bradley will go with the same lineup he used against Grenada is unclear. There probably will be a couple of changes, just to give another few players a look. MF Benny Feilhaber has been called in from the list of seven extra players CONCACAF granted the U.S. as the result of its participation in the Confederations Cup, which Bradley said, "gives us a little bit of cover in the midfield."

Here's hoping Feilhaber is just that, and that Bradley gives the hometown lads a chance to exact a small bit of vengeance for that memorable defeat eight years ago.