Paced by a Taylor Twellman hat trick and second-half strikes from Eddie Pope and Chris Klein, the U.S. national team was rarely tested defensively as it cruised to a comfortable 5-0 victory against Norway at The Home Depot Center on Sunday afternoon.
Coming off a scoreless draw against Canada last weekend in San Diego in a listless performance in their opening match of the year, the USA was looking to get the offense on track as the buildup toward FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 continues.
And facing a Norway team that narrowly missed out on qualification for Germany -- their second successive failure to reach the finals after appearances in 1994 and 1998 -- the match would provide a good barometer for where the USA stood. The same young Norwegian side lost to Mexico 2-1 on Wednesday night.
But it took the U.S. all of five minutes to open the scoring on Sunday. Frankie Hejduk made a long run from his right back position into the attacking third. Pulling a defender with him, Hejduk played a back heel to a trailing Clint Dempsey, and he fired a ball to Twellman, who was all alone at the top of the box. Twellman took a touch before slamming home a shot into the lower corner of the net to give the USA an early advantage.
Hejduk and Dempsey had free reign on the right side in the early going and combined for another dangerous attack immediately after the opening goal. Hejduk fed Dempsey, who split two defenders and dribbled into the area. Dempsey shot from a sharp angle, but his shot was cleared out by a defender for a U.S. corner kick.
Twellman was at it again minutes later. The U.S. continued to attack down the right side, this time Twellman making a long run through the Norwegian defense. The New England Revolution striker cut towards the center and unleashed a shot from 22 yards out forcing a save from 'keeper Espen Johnsen. On the ensuing corner kick, Twellman again almost found the goal when all alone, but the ball took an awkward bounce and he only managed to get a toe poke on it, sending his effort just over the crossbar.
After the early setback, Norway began to come back into the game, and U.S. goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was forced into action on a free kick when Petter Rudi beat Jimmy Conrad to a cross and hit a shot towards the near post. Hartman was equal to the task though, punching the ball away for a corner kick.
Just three minutes later, Norway thought they had an equalizer on another corner. Hartman came off his line to try and cut out the cross from the left, but had his legs cut out from under him. Hartman dropped the ball and it was poked home in the scramble, but Colombian referee Oscar Acosta had already whistled the foul.
That was all the offense that Norway could muster in the first half and it didn't take long for Twellman to add to his account. Todd Dunivant, who earned his first ever cap for the full national team, took a free kick from the right side. Twellman met the ball in stride at the back post and headed into the top corner of the goal to make the score 2-0.
The U.S. was relentless in their assault on the Norwegian goal, and the Twellman's Revolution teammate Dempsey barely missed out on another goal, firing a long-range shot that beat Johnsen only to bang off the crossbar.
Dempsey was in on yet another U.S. attack in the 34th minute. He slipped a through ball to Josh Wolff who streaked into the penalty area. Wolff shot from close range towards the near post, but missed wide and found only the side netting with his chance.
The second half started much the same way as the first ended. New England's Pat Noonan started to assert himself a bit more on the left flank, and a couple of times beat his defender to play dangerous balls into the area.
The U.S. kept Johnsen busy in the Norwegian net throughout the opening moments of the half, and in the 61st minute, Wolff hit a curling shot from the top of the box that beat Johnsen but went just wide of the post.
Then a minute later Dempsey won a header from a Wolff cross that was initially saved by Johnsen. He got to his own rebound to head home what appeared to be the third U.S. goal, but the flag went up for a close offside decision.
Still, it didn't take long for the U.S. to add to their lead in the second half. After a free kick bounced around the Norway box, Dunivant earned his second assist of the game. From inside the box, he played a driven cross along the ground and national team veteran Pope tapped home from just a few feet away.
While the U.S. attack was pressing for more goals, the defense was turning in a solid performance, limiting the Norwegians to brief forays into the attack, and never really surrendering a legitimate threat on goal.
Twellman completed his hat trick in the 76th minute with another header. Noonan provided the assist this time with a cross from the left flank, Twellman finishing the play with a clinical goal as he headed the ball down and back in the direction it came from, tucking his shot neatly into the lower corner of the net.
Even with a four-goal lead, the U.S. continued its siege on the Norwegian penalty area, as second-half substitutes Nate Jaqua and Ben Olsen both tested Johnsen on successive attempts. First Jaqua juggled the ball a couple times in the area before firing a volley right into the chest of Johnsen. Then it was Olsen who ripped a shot from long range that forced a lunging save from Johnsen just minutes later.
The U.S. capped the scoring in the 87th minute. Jaqua fed Wolff in the box who played the ball back to the Chicago Fire striker. Johnsen made a kick save on Jaqua's shot but the rebound came right to Landon Donovan. Rather than shoot the ball, Donovan passed to substitute Chris Klein, who nailed a shot into the roof of the goal.
The USA will take on Japan next in San Francisco on Feb. 10, as U.S. national team manager Bruce Arena continues to look at players as he aims to finalize his World Cup roster.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
