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As the sun set behind the mountains of Denver, the temperature on the pitch dropped to a frosty 35-degrees. But, as the thermometer dipped, Freddy Adu’s game caught fire. On a night where Guatemala’s chance at qualification hung in the balance, it was the States, Freddy in particular, who came out determined to make a statement.

After 45 minutes of nil-nil soccer, the MNT came out of the locker room hungry to finish the half-chances they had squandered earlier. And, they wasted little time in finding the back of the Guatemalan net when a fluid move forward was capped off with a far-post finish in the 54th minute.

Then the final nail in the coffin: With ice in his veins, Freddy stepped up to a 22-yard free kick and smacked a curling, left-footed shot around the wall and directly into the roof of the goal. The shot in the 69th secured victory for the US and gave Adu his first career goal for the full national side.

The US now enters the Final Round of qualifying and will learn their 10-game schedule at the FIFA drawing in South Africa on November 22 (this will also be the draw for the Confederations Cup).

After the game, we had a chance to chat with the Man of the Match, Mr. Adu, to get his take on the future of the team and to talk us through his lethal strike.

So, what was going through your head as you prepared for that free kick?
First off, we had it set up with two other guys to make it look like they were going to take it and we had two guys on the end of the wall. On my first free kick the keeper cheated to the near post, so I figured he was going to cheat again. So I took a chance and just hit it hard to the far post and it worked out right.

How much do you work on free kicks in training?
A lot. A lot. I hit probably 25 to 30 free kicks after training every day. It’s a great feeling when you work hard at something and then it pays off.

This was a much younger team tonight. How did you think the young guys came together?
I think we played together great. We came together and worked really hard as a team to get this win. Everyone took care of their individual part of the field and a lot of guys had good games for us. So, hopefully, these younger guys will get more call ups in the future.

How do you personally build off the momentum of this win and your great goal as you rejoin your club in France?
I gotta keep it going. I know the coach and the president of the club were watching today, and before I left for this game the coach told me I had been doing great in training. He hinted that I might be getting a start soon. So, hopefully, this game helps get me out on the field more for my club.

What are your thoughts as you look to 2010?
Well, first we gotta get in. So, hopefully, we’re there and I’m in the team. And, with guys like Beasley, Landon, Gooch and Carlos, I think we have a great team. And, if we’re not intimidated by anyone, we’re going to do fine, because we’re very athletic and fast, and we’ve got physically imposing guys in the back. So as long as we go out there with the right mentality, we should be OK.

Thanks Freddy for your time and best of luck in the future.
Thank you. It’s my pleasure.

We also want to give a big thank you to all the fans who braved the cold temps to root the US on to victory. A huge thanks goes out to The American Outlaws and Sam's Army. We couldn't have done it without you.

When the whistle blows tomorrow to start the match between the MNT and Guatemala, the nation will get a good glimpse at the future of US soccer. With their place in the final round of qualifying secured, the US will field a team of young gunners looking to make an impression on Coach Bradley.

Leading the charge in Denver will be Freddy Adu. At just 19 years of age, Freddy is a veritable veteran on this team of upstarts. And the team will be looking to Adu to set the tone of the match with his speed and audacity. For Freddy himself, this match represents a great chance to get a full 90 and build some attacking momentum that he can take back to France.

While the US has sealed their fate, there are still three spots up for grabs in CONCACAF qualifying. Guatemala needs some good fortune to qualify, and it all starts with beating the US at home – something they have never done in ten tries.

When the dust settles after Wednesday night’s qualifiers, the CONCACAF picture will be a lot clearer. Bringing it into even sharper focus will be the November 22nd draw in South Africa, where FIFA will determine who faces off against whom in the final round of qualifying.

So catch the US v Guatemala game on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN Classic & Galavision) to see what the future of US Soccer looks like, and then tune into the draw on Saturday to see what the immediate future of US qualifiers looks like.

Did you see the happy feet? The fast footwork from the two-time world player of the year? The uncontrollable excitement flowing through the signature cleats right before running onto a ball from Pato and blasting home a jaw-dropping, last minute, UEFA Cup goal? No? Well than maybe you heard the announcement instead. Went something like this: Ronaldinho’s on point.

The adjustment period is over. The new environment, the new teammates, the fatigued body, the old contract - none of ‘em are a problem anymore. Ronaldinho’s feelin’ it and his team is now only a point away from the top spot in Italy.

In the most hyped game of the weekend, Arsenal outlasted Man United 2-1. There was excitement all over the field and chances for both sides, but ultimately it was Arsenal’s youthful team speed that proved the difference. Rooney or Cristiano could have leveled on more than one occasion, but for the first time in a long while, the ball didn’t bounce in their favor. It was an exhibition of soccer at its highest level; too bad somebody had to lose.

And then there’s Barca, posting a quiet little 6-0 win in La Liga. 6-0. Are you serious? Who’s gonna slow these guys down?

Final shout out to ‘Los, Captain America, who’s working hard in France.

Sometimes it just takes a scoreless game to remind everyone what wins championships.

The two US goalkeepers combined to put up a clean sheet on Wednesday, keeping the crowd entertained with a host of acrobatic saves.

And though the fans in Cincinnati didn’t see a goal, they certainly didn’t leave without a tease. Lindsay Tarpley let a howitzer fly in the 31st that found the woodwork – and nearly the inside of the goal line – before getting cleared out of the area by the South Koreans.

Make no mistake, the WNT isn’t playing for a medal, trophy or prize anymore, just pride and the love of the game. You won’t see a podium at the final match-up of the three game series against the South Koreans, as it moves down to Tampa, Florida. But tune-in to ussoccer.com this Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, and you’ll see the competitive spirit in its purest form.

It’s almost starting to become routine. The WNT resumed their “Achieve Your Gold Tour” on Saturday with yet another decisive win over yet another outclassed visitor.

Then again, you can’t quite call it routine. How can witnessing the chemistry and precision that Tarp and the gang play with ever become normal? Their skills are unequaled in the world, and they’ve got a certain color medal to prove it.

It’s really not even fair. Coach Sundhage said the team had only practiced once since finishing a clean sweep of the Irish over a month ago. One practice and that kind of play? You gotta be kidding.

The 3-1 victory over the South Korean women, who have yet to beat the WNT in four chances, meant that the girls moved to 4-0 on the Tour. And for Angela Hucles, it meant even more. A Virginia native who blossomed in Beijing, Angela earned "Woman of the Match" honors in front of her hometown crowd.

The South Koreans have two more chances against our gold medalists, the first coming on Wednesday in Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. ET. Follow it live on ussoccer.com. You’re guaranteed the usual – pure class.