Guest Post by Matt - US Soccer Daily
Christened in June of 2003, the Home Depot Center is the crown jewel of US Soccer (that is, until Red Bull Arena opens in a couple months). Over the past six and a half years, the House that Anschutz Built has hosted the USMNT on eight occasions, with the Yanks compiling a record of 7-0-1 in those matches.
Despite having been around for two full cycles now, the HDC has hosted just one World Cup qualifying match to this point. The fact that the Los Angeles area doesn't exactly provide a home field advantage against a good portion of CONCACAF makes the HDC a less than appealing venue when a World Cup berth is on the line. But Bob Bradley's side did choose to kick off their 2010 qualifying campaign at the home of Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy, taking on Barbados in their opening match. Not only was this match noteworthy for the fact that it was the first WCQ at the Home Depot Center, but it would also end up being the largest win in USMNT history, as the Yanks steamrolled the Bajans by a score of 8-0. The Yanks wasted no time in starting qualification off on the right foot, with Clint Dempsey topping another USMNT record by scoring just 53 seconds into the match. So, though the stadium has hosted just one qualifier, it has still been the scene of several historic USMNT moments.
Outside of the WCQ, the HDC has hosted two other competitive matches featuring the USMNT, albeit as a "neutral" venue. Back in '07, the Yanks had two Gold Cup group stage matches, one against Trinidad & Tobago and the other against Guatemala. Much like the other their game against Barbados, the USMNT was unbeatable at the friendly confines of Carson, blanking both opponents for wins of 2-0 and 1-0. Those wins were part of what would end up being another Gold Cup triumph for the Red, White, and Blue, which booked them a ticket to last summer's memorable Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Tomorrow will mark the sixth January friendly played at the Home Depot Center, the fifth consecutive year that the Yanks' first match will take place in Carson. In the five friendlies, the USMNT outscored its opponents by a combined score of 14-4 (2.8 goals for per game, just .8 goals against). All of the previous friendlies have been against Scandinavian teams (Sweden in '09 and '08, Denmark in '07 and '04, and Norway in '06) thanks in large part to the coinciding domestic offseasons. The friendlies have been the scene of some history, as well, with Landon Donovan passing Eric Wynalda to become the USMNT's all-time leading goalscorer by burying a penalty in a 2-0 victory over Sweden back in 2008. Who knows, even though it is just a friendly, tomorrow's match at the HDC might just have another historic moment in store for us.
The only blemish on an otherwise impeccable run at the HDC actually came in the USMNT's first game there back in '04, as they split the points with the Danes after trading penalty kicks for a 1-1 final. Since then, the Yanks have always sent the home fans happy, with last year's 3-2 win and 2007's 1-0 victory over Guatemala being the only games with less than a two goal margin of victory.
Tomorrow's match will mark the first time that a non-Scandinavian team comes to the HDC for the January friendly, with US Soccer instead opting for fellow World Cup qualifier and CONCACAF rival Honduras. Expect another US win, and look for Honduran national hero Jonathan Bornstein to get a rousing ovation from the fans of Los Catrachos in attendance. It might not exactly be all of the guys we're going to see in South Africa, but it's the USMNT nonetheless, and I for one can't get enough of seeing the Yanks play.
Tune in at 9 PM ET on Fox Soccer Channel to see if Bob Bradley and company can kick off the new year on the right foot.
(Cross posted at US Soccer Daily)
