PORTLAND, Ore. ? The name on his back may have undermined his renown, ?Wondowlowski? erroneously ironed onto his jersey, but after 42 minutes on Tuesday at JELD-WEN Field, nobody was talking about the typo scrawled across his shoulders. Instead, the buzz around Chris Wondolowski centered on his second, third and fourth international goals, all scored before halftime, with the reigning Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player lifting the U.S. to a 6-1 win over Belize in their opening match of the 2013 Gold Cup.
Belize?s only goal came the 39th minute, with defender Ian Gaynair heading home a restart to briefly pull the underdogs within one. But building on Wondolowski?s third just before intermission, second half tallies from Stuart Holden, Michael Orozco, and Landon Donovan helped push the U.S. to the top of Group C, their goal difference giving them a tiebreaker advantage over Costa Rica.
The Ticos also sit on three points after winning the night?s opening match, getting two goals from midfielder Michael Barrantes en route to a 3-0 win over Cuba.
(MORE: U.S. player ratings from Tuesday?s win)
Belize, playing in their first major international competition, were expected to offer little resistance to one of the tournament favorites, so it was no surprise when the U.S. dominated play from the opening kick off. Forcing two corner kicks in the first 90 seconds and maintaining over 80 percent of the match?s possession over the first 10 minutes, the Americans quickly pushed their opponents deep into their own end. With the ball rarely in the U.S.?s half, ?the Americans appeared destined for a quick break through.
That break through came in 12th minute when left midfielder Jose Torres beat Belize right back Evan Mariano to get a far post cross in from the byline. There, Joe Corona out-jumped his man to head the cross down into the six, where the ball was left for Chris Wondolowski to open the scoring from close range.
(MORE: A few takeaways from the United States? win)
After another spell of U.S. control, Belize nearly equalized, a freak deflection of a Deon McCauley 24rd minute shot sending the ball looping toward Nick Rimando?s left post. The Real Salt Lake keeper leapt and got a hand to a ball that appeared destined to nail his post.
The U.S. had a number of chances to double their lead near the half hour mark, with Corona firing a ball into Woodrow West?s feet in the 32nd minute before Torres?s 36th minute half volley ?went over the bar from six yards out. One minute later, however, a cross from the right from Kyle Beckerman found Wondolowski in middle of the Belize area, his header powered past West to make it 2-0.
Four minutes later, the U.S. gave the goal back. A foul along Belize?s right flank by Landon Donovan gave up a set piece, one converted by a Ian Gaynair header after Elroy Smith found him unmarked just outside Nick Rimando?s six-yard box.
But it was only two minutes until the U.S. restored their lead, with Wondolowski completing his hat trick after diving onto a cross from Corona. Raising this international total to four goals in 13 caps, Wondolowski returned the U.S. to the two-goal lead they?d enjoyed for much of the half, sending his team into intermission up 3-1.
In the 58th minute, the U.S. padded their goal difference when Stu Holden, who had come on for Beckerman at halftime, finished from six yards out, recording his first international goal in four years. Off a far post cross from Corona, Donovan headed down for the still returning midfielder, whose third international goal marked the latest step in his comeback from repeated knee injuries.
For Donovan, it was his 50th international assist, reaching a plateau he passed in goals on Friday with his double against Guatemala. It wasn?t long, through, before the country?s all-time leading scorer added his second assist of the night, his restart from deep on the U.S.?s left flank swinging onto Orozco in the six-yard box, the defender heading home to put the U.S. up four.
In the 77th minute, Donovan added to his scoring record, scoring from the penalty spot after a Belize hand ball, registering his 52nd career goal.
The win leaves the U.S. even on points with Costa Rica at the top of Group C ahead of Sunday?s match with Cuba, but with goal difference being the tournament?s first group stage tiebreaker, the team?s +5 difference leaves the one spot above the Ticos, who beat Cuba by three in the night?s opener.
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