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Sandy » Air USA's 6 p.m. scheduled departure from Rio Tinto Stadium got stuck in the gate, then hit first-half turbulence when El Salvador shockingly took the lead in the 32nd minute.
But led by first captain Landon Donovan, with Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey flying as co-pilots, the Men's National Team used a barrage of crosses in front of dizzy El Salvador goalkeeper Miguel Montes late in the first half to fly away with three points with a 2-1 victory.
The journey to South Africa remains right on schedule.
A rollicking Rio Tinto Stadium celebrated the second World Cup Qualifier in Utah history -- but it was the blue half that went delirious when 5-foot-6 Christian
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But Donovan and company took over in what appeared to be a team wide effort to ground the smaller visitors throughout the first half.
Spector and fellow outside back Jonathan Bornstein were never afraid to push forward and send in high balls. Outsized by as much as eight inches, Salvadoran center backs Marvin Gonzalez and Manuel Salazar could barely track their American counterparts, 6-foot-4 Chad Marshall and 6-foot Carlos Bocanegra.
And that was just the work of the American defenders.
Hustling Charlie Davies took turns with Dempsey and Altidore finding the end of crossing balls. It felt like it was only a matter of time before the
Donovan, who put forth a signature tireless effort, finally delivered with two world-class assists in a five-minute span.
The first one, in the 41st minute with the USA surprisingly down a goal, found Dempsey off a corner kick while a quartet of his teammates appeared offside.
The in stoppage time, he curled one convincingly between flat-footed Salvadoran defenders and Jozy Altidore had no problem putting it way.
"Jozy and Charlie give us a physical dimension... speed, strength and keeping defenders on their heels," said a relieved coach Bob Bradley following the game.
But he also acknowledged that that the team's success wasn't necessarily because the team was following the original game plan.
Bradley attributed the long balls to some players' lack of patience -- and in fact, addressed it at halftime.
So the USA grounded the jets a little and had few scoring chances for most of the second half except for a three-minute microburst. First, Jozy Altidore had a goal called back due to a mysterious foul. Then he had a breakaway foiled by an offside call.
But it didn't matter.
Intentional or not, the USA's air assault had done its job.
El Salvador tried to answer with their full allotment of three substitutes, but the squad that entered the game with three consecutive 1-0 defeats on the road, couldn't muster an equalizer.
Bradley gave them due credit.
"Across the field, they're a bunch of fighters," he said.
No contest this night for the luxury jetliner, Air USA.
STEVE PASTORINO is the former general manager for Real Salt Lake and an occasional contributor to The Salt Lake Tribune on soccer. He welcomes your comments at pasto.ink@comcast.net.
