Washington, D.C. (My Sportsbook) - The United States scored two goals in the last 15 minutes to earn a 2-0 win over Honduras in their second match of Group B play in the Gold Cup on Wednesday.
Santino Quaranta scored his first international goal in the 75th minute to put the USA on top, while Bring Ching added a second tally four minutes later to give the Americans two wins from their first two games, putting the team on top of the group.
The U.S. will meet Haiti on Saturday in their final match of the group stage, needing just a draw to clinch the top spot in Group B, while Honduras plays Grenada in its final match and is tied with Haiti in second place.
Honduras was able to put pressure on the U.S. defense in the opening 20 minutes, but the first real chance of the match fell to the Americans in the 22nd minute.
Kyle Beckerman slipped a pass into the box for Ching, and he attempted to chip it past goalkeeper Donis Escobar. However, the effort was off target and it was cleared by defender Erick Norales.
Walter Martinez should have put Honduras in front on the half-hour mark as he was in on goal with only goalkeeper Troy Perkins to beat, but fired wide.
Heath Pearce then served up a left-wing cross for Freddy Adu, but he headed it straight at the keeper, while Robbie Rogers sent a volley over the net from eight yards as the U.S. searched for the opener.
Ching had another chance early in the second half with an acrobatic left- footed attempt in front of goal, but it sailed over the top of the net, while Charlie Davies blocked an attempted clearance by Escobar in the 70th minute and it nearly rolled across the goal line.
However, the opening goal finally arrived with 15 minutes to play as Davies took a pass from Benny Feilhaber and laid the ball off to Quaranta, who beat Escobar with a low shot inside the right post.
It took just four minutes for the hosts to add a second goal when Steve Cherundolo floated a ball towards the front of goal for Ching, who outjumped his defender and nodded it just under the crossbar.
The lead could have grown to three goals in the last five minutes but Kenny Cooper's effort from outside the area skipped past the left post.