U.S. routs Barbados in qualifying opener

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — The United States couldn’t wait to get started in its qualifying run for the 2010 World Cup.

Clint Dempsey scored 53 seconds in to set the tone, Brian Ching added two goals and the United States cruised to a record-setting 8-0 rout of Barbados on Sunday in the Americans’ first qualifying game for the 2010 World Cup.

Dempsey added a second-half goal for the Americans, who scored three times in the first half and five times in the second. It was the largest victory margin in the team’s history and only the second time the United States scored eight goals. The other was an 8-1 victory over the Cayman Islands in 1993.

After going scoreless in exhibitions against three of the world’s top 10 teams leading into the qualifier, the 21st-ranked United States had three goals in the first 20 minutes against Barbados, tied for 121st in the FIFA world rankings.

Michael Bradley and Ching also had first-half goals, and Landon Donovan, Dempsey, Eddie Johnson and Ching added goals in the second. Barbados also had an own-goal in the 86th minute.

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan, never really challenged, got the shutout. No. 1 goalkeeper Tim Howard strained his back in practice on Friday and is day-to-day.