USA DAWN: NEWS AND UPDATES

The  United States  Men's National Team entered the night in a must-win situation against Guatemala and did just that. They took care of business against very poor opposition and restored everyone's hopes of World Cup qualification with a 4-0 win. Both teams came out tentative in the opening 10 minutes until the USA took the game by the horns in the form of a  Clint Dempsey  goal. A long ball up to  Gyasi Zardes  in the box got nodded down into empty space and the USMNT's second all-time leading scorer latched onto it and lashed it past Paulo Motta for the opening goal of the match. One that the Americans desperately needed to get the pressure of needing to win off their shoulders. The U.S. continued to pile on the pressure after the goal, dominating possession in the Guatemala end of the field. The visitors never looked comfortable to begin the match and they were forced to bunker behind the ball. The pressure finally paid off in the 35th minu...

US actress Patty Duke, who won an Oscar for playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker in 1963, has died aged 69. As well as a best supporting actress Oscar, Duke won an Emmy in 1980 for playing Helen Keller's teacher in a TV movie version. Duke also starred in The Patty Duke Show in the 1960s in which she took the roles of "identical" teenage cousins. She was the mother of actor Sean Astin, who played the hobbit Sam in the Lord of the Rings trilogy of films. Her representative, Mitchell Stubbs, said she died early on Tuesday of sepsis from a ruptured intestine. She underwent a heart bypass in 2004. Mr Stubbs said: "She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a mental health advocate and a cultural icon. She will be missed." Image caption Patty Duke's sons, Mackenzie Astin, left, and Sean Astin, are both actors A statement from her family read: "This morning, our beloved wife, mother, matriarch and the exquisite artist and champ...

MEXICO CITY — Andres Guardado and Jesus Corona scored first-half goals and Mexico beat Canada 2-0 Tuesday night in a World Cup qualifier to become the first nation to clinch a berth in the six-nation final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region. Guardado scored on a penalty kick in the 17th and Corona in the 45th. Seeking its seventh straight World Cup berth, Mexico (4-0) leads Group A with 12 points, followed by Canada and Honduras (both 1-2-1) and El Salvador (0-2-2). "We*re very happy we are having a healthy qualifying round so far," said Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who made five changes to his starting lineup. "Today it was a chance to see some of the younger players. We are trying to improve our chances to achieve major goals." Mexico plays at El Salvador on Sept. 2, when Honduras hosts Canada. The round ends four days later, when Canada is home against El Salvador and Mexico hosts Honduras. Canada last played in the W...