USA vs. Guatemala: Score and Twitter Reaction for 2015 Friendly

The United States men's national team will head into the 2015 Gold Cup with some positive momentum after beating Guatemala 4-0 Friday in Nashville, Tennessee.

The friendly was the final step in the United States' Gold Cup preparations. It picked up its fourth win in a row and third victory in less than a month.

The tournament kicks off Tuesday for the USMNT, so coach Jurgen Klinsmann used the match to put the final touches on his first team. On Wednesday, he told USSoccer.com that the lineup against Guatemala would strongly resemble how he'll start the Gold Cup:

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I think the game against Guatemala will give us a really big hint toward the starting eleven a couple of days later in Dallas against Honduras. In the friendly with Guatemala we have the chance to use six subs. We will use all six subs most likely to give the players minutes and give them a chance to show us what they have.

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When U.S. Soccer revealed the starting 11 for Friday, there were a few surprises, namely Graham Zusi's inclusion and Michael Bradley's being slotted ahead of Mix Diskerud in midfield:

Zusi didn't exactly make the most of his brief time on the pitch, while Bradley was once again one of the tone-setters in midfield.

In the early stages of the friendly, the United States looked to be working out the kinks. It maintained the lion's share of possession but lacked fluidity in midfield. Goal.com's Ives Galarcep wondered if the USMNT players were having trouble with a somewhat difficult playing surface at Nissan Stadium as well:

Luckily for the U.S., it only had to wait until the 17th minute for its first real scoring chance of the game.

Wilson Lalin pulled Jozy Altidore back in the 18-yard box, and the referee pointed to the spot after looking indecisive for a few seconds. It wasn't the most violent foul you'll see in the penalty area, but it warranted a penalty kick.

Paulo Cesar Motta saved Altidore's shot after guessing correctly and getting an arm to the weak attempt.

Motta's efforts proved to be for naught as the United States got on the board just two minutes later.

DeAndre Yedlin found himself in space down the right flank and fired a dangerous cross into the box. Guatemala's Carlos Castrillo looked a bit panicked as he positioned himself to clear the ball, and his headed effort bounced into his own net:

Give credit to Yedlin for getting into a good position and putting pressure on the Guatemalan defense. But Fox Soccer's Kyle McCarthy was wise to lavish praise on Bradley, whose pass started the move:

The goal seemed to remove some of the U.S. players' anxiety. Although the score remained 1-0 going into halftime, the United States looked a little more composed on the ball. Yedlin was also a bright spot in the first 45 minutes, with Guatemala having no answer for his pace down the right.

But two minutes into the second half, Jose Contreras was inches away from tying the game.

In the 47th minute, Brad Guzan failed to collect a free kick in from the right by Marco Pappa. The ball fell to Contreras, who had an open goal in front of him but sliced his right-footed shot wide.

It was a major break for the United States, which then capitalized in the 58th minute. Timmy Chandler cut in slightly from the right and unleashed a vicious left-footed shot that zipped past a diving Motta. It was a great individual effort from a player who continues to offer tantalizing glimpses of his potential:

Goal USA's Thomas Floyd believes Chandler remains one of the more confounding talents in the U.S. setup:

ESPN's Max Bretos argues the reward outweighs the risk regarding Chandler, thus ensuring he should maintain his place in the side:

Clint Dempsey made it 3-0 from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute. Once again, Castrillo was guilty of committing a foul in the box, and the U.S. made it hurt this time.

Gyasi Zardes and Chris Wondolowski connected in the 86th minute for the United States' fourth goal.

All in all, it was a convincing performance from the U.S. Barring a few fleeting moments for Guatemala, Klinsmann's team was in total control after going ahead 1-0. U.S. supporters certainly shouldn't feel any less confident about the team's Gold Cup chances after Friday's friendly.

The U.S. will face Honduras on Tuesday and will look to navigate its way through a Group A that also includes Haiti and Panama.

Guatemala, meanwhile, will also head into the Gold Cup looking to make some noise. It reached the quarterfinals in 2007 and 2011. It'll have to deal with Mexico in the group stage, but it has winnable games against Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Cuba, to boost its hopes of advancing to the knockout stages.