ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada — DaMarcus Beasley was the hero again Sunday as he scored in the 77th minute to give the United States a 3-2 victory over undermanned Grenada in the second leg of a World Cup qualifying series. The game-winner followed Beasley's two-goal effort last week in Columbus, Ohio, in the first leg of the series. This victory sent the U.S. into the semifinal round while eliminating Grenada from World Cup contention. The Americans' next opponent will be the winner of the Haiti-Jamaica series, which concludes Sunday night in Kingston. Canada, Honduras and St. Kitts advanced earlier this week. The semifinal round of CONCACAF qualifying is comprised of three groups of four teams that will play matches between Aug. 18-Nov. 17. The two nations topping each of the three groups advance to the final round — the so-called hexagonal — from Feb. 9-Oct. 12, 2005. The top three finishers will play at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Beasley's goal came after he reached a neat flick by Earnie Stewart. He slotted the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Kellon Baptiste to give the U.S. a 3-1 lead. The Americans needed the extra cushion because Grenada's Ricky Charles scored a minute later off a cross by Anthony Modeste that slithered through the muck. The game was played through intermittent but heavy rain on an unusual surface — a sodden wicket at the St. George's Cricket Grounds. But cricket matches are not played in rain, so drainage became a factor. Throughout the match, long passes skidded to a stop, players slid and mud flew in an ugly but entertaining spectacle. Landon Donovan started the scoring in the sixth minute after Josh Wolff intercepted a throw-in on the touch line and roared it down the flank to a waiting Claudio Reyna at the top of the box. Reyna drove to the end line and pulled it back for a waiting Donovan, who one-timed the ball past Baptiste into the lower right corner of the net. Grenada struck back in the 12th after Pablo Mastroeni pulled down a midfielder in the box, giving a penalty kick to Jason Roberts. Roberts sunk the shot past Kasey Keller to end the United States' 393-minute shutout streak. Wolff worked his magic again seven minutes later, getting on the end of a freewheeling play to snap the deadlock. Reyna floated in a corner kick that was flicked on by Donovan to Beasley at the far side of the area. Beasley volleyed it back to forward Brian McBride who got his head on it. McBride's header caromed off the crossbar, sending the ball to the near end line, where Donovan flicked it back through standing water to Wolff. All the Kansas City Wizards forward had to do was tap it in. Grenada's Brian Benjamin was ejected in the 55th minute for drawing a second yellow card. Stewart hit the cap century mark, becoming just the eighth American to play in 100 national-team matches. SOURCE: CARIBUPDATE.COM