(Cheese Estudio photo)
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The result gave the Eagles a total points aggregate margin of 54-28 following their 27-22 triumph a week earlier in Montevideo.
In front of a smallish crowd in Lauderhill, the US ran in four tries to none to punch its ticket to New Zealand.
The Eagles led 13-3 at halftime behind tries by Louis Stanfill and Kevin Swiryn after Mike Hercus had started things rolling with a penalty goal in the opening minute of the game.
Los Teros’ points came from the boot of Jeronimo Etcheverry, who landed two penalty shots either side of the half.
The first forty was marked by a stream of aimless kicking in general play by both teams, combined with multiple stoppages, but despite that the US forwards had the upper hand.
The first try came in the 20th minute when the Eagle pack was pressuring near the Uruguayan goal line. Scrumhalf Tim Usasz dug the ball out from under a ruck and flicked it to his left to Stanfill, who bulled over out wide.
With more than half an hour gone, Swiryn scored on a piece of individual brilliance when he found some space on the wing, chip-kicked ahead and regathered, before dragging a tackler with him over the line.
Following Etcheverry’s second goal very early in the second half, Eagle skipper Todd Clever put in America’s third try when he broke from a ruck and dashed 30 meters to the line. The Hercus conversion gave the US a comfortable 20-6 advantage.
Things got worse for Uruguay not long after when their prop Mario Sagrario was red carded at around the 49th minute mark, leaving his country to finish the game a man down.
Canadian referee Smortchevsky had spotted an illegality at the breakdown and pinged Sagrario.
Shortly thereafter, the US began to ring the changes and emptied the bench.
Swiryn left the game inside the last quarter with an injury to his right leg, forcing a reshuffle in the forwards that saw Clever having to move to the centers to cover the hole.
However, the big #7 took it in his stride and had the final say by scoring the USA’s fourth try.
Clever again found himself with some room to move and made Uruguay pay the price marking his effort with a swan dive in the in-goal. Replacement flyhalf Nese Malifa converted as the final whistle blew to indicate time had expired.
And so as it was the last time the USA qualified for the RWC, again Uruguay was the sacrificial lamb.
USA
Tries: Stanfill, Swiryn, Clever (2)
Conversions: Hercus, Malifa
Penalty goals: Hercus
Uruguay
Penalty goals: Etcheverry (2)
USA:
15. Chris Wyles (Saracens) 14. Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz Olympic) 13. Paul Emerick (Parma FC) 12. Junior Sifa (Middleton) 11. Kevin Swiryn (Old Puget Sound Beach) 10. Mike Hercus (Sunshine Coast Stingrays) 9. Tim Usasz (Nottingham) 1. Mate Moeakiola (Pearl City) 2. Phil Thiel (Life) 3. Will Johnson (Oxford University) 4. John Van der Giessen (Sporting Club Albigeois) 5. Hayden Smith (Saracens) 6. Louis Stanfill (New York Athletic Club) 7. Todd Clever (Golden Lions) 8. Jonathan ‘JJ’ Gagiano (FC Roma)
Reserves:
16. Brian McClenahan (Olympic Club) 17. Jacob Sprague (Mystic River) 18. Alec Parker (Aspen) 19. Pat Danahy (Life) 20. Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club) 21. Nese Malifa (Belmont Shore) 22. Alipate Tuilevuka (Provo Steelers)
Referee: Dave Smortchevsky (Canada)
