Hawaii Beat Star-Bulletin staff

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U.S. overwhelms Barbados in soccer

CARSON, Calif. » 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, Kamehameha product Brian Ching added two goals and the United States cruised to a record-setting 8-0 rout of Barbados yesterday 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.

In other qualifying results, Mexico shut out Belize 2-0, Bermuda upset Trinidad 2-1 and Paraguay beat Brazil 2-0.

Turkey stunned the Czech Republic with three goals in the final 15 minutes, including two in three minutes, for a 3-2 victory yesterday that lifted the Turks into the European Championship quarterfinals against Croatia on Friday in Vienna.

Switzerland shut out Portugal 2-0 in the other match of the day to help the co-host get its first-ever win in the tournament.