Sporting KC's Zusi keeps adding to his case for more time with the U.S. national team

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- More fun with numbers: When Graham Zusi appears with the U.S. men's national soccer team, the Stars and Stripes are 12-3-2.

There's more where that came from, of course.

When the Sporting Kansas City midfielder scores: 2-0-0.

When he collects an assist: 2-0-0.

When he turns up with the national team at Sporting Park: 2-0-0.

"It's gotta be the fans," Zusi said, grinning, after the national team posted a 2-0 victory of Jamaica on Friday night in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match, the last one on U.S. soil in 2013. "Gotta be the stadium."

Another grin.

"Naw, I love playing here. Obviously, I'm privileged enough to do it week-in and week-out. And the fans gave us that energy that we needed to get that job done."

They sing, he scores. He scores, they sing. In 17 appearances with the national team, half of the Florida native's goals (two) and half of his assists have (two) come at his home park. So it was only fitting, of course, that his first domestic goal with the national team -- his only other one took place in Panama back on January 25, 2012 -- would happen here, right?

"I didn't want that game to end," Zusi said. "It was pretty special."

In the 77th minute of a ho-hum, 0-0 tilt, Zusi -- a halftime substitute for Landon Donovan -- set up at the top of the 18-yard box, collected a cross from Alejandro Bedoya and slotted it hard and low into the left corner to put the U.S. in front.

Cue the pandemonium.

"I'm so happy for him," U.S. midfielder Mix Diskerud said. "We were talking about it after the game. It's like the best feeling ever when you're from (a place), when you're a player, and you have the crowd backing you and have that goal. I've experienced that before, and it's the best thing ever. So I'm happy for him.

"And the crowd was incredible. God, I couldn't even hear myself think sometimes. They're chanting and everything. So it's really great. It's kind of cliché-ish, but it feels like you have a 12th man on the field."

And once that 12th man got rolling, they didn't want the party to stop. The hosts kept pushing, and four minutes later, the Jamaican defense broke down again. Edgar Castillo lobbed a cross to a wide-open Jozy Altidore, who tapped that bad boy into a gaping, wide-open goal to put the U.S. up 2-0. Zusi had a crack at another score in the 82nd minute, only to boot it high, wide right, and into the jubilant crowd.

"It's exciting to see his energy, yeah, everything he brings to the table," USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann said of his 27-year-old midfielder. "And it was a tough decision before the game to leave Graham out of the starting 11 … and Graham was fine with that.

"He was a part of that (second-half) energy, creating more chances. And when he scored that goal, it's going to be a special memory for him, absolutely. And he deserves that."

There's a growing sentiment that Zusi deserves more playing time, too, especially with Donovan still showing some effects from a recent ankle sprain. The Sporting star had been the catalyst for a similar second-half lift for the national team back on June 18 in Sandy, Utah, in a 1-0 win against Honduras.

"A classic player," goalkeeper and captain Tim Howard said of Zusi. "He's a guy that comes in off the line, takes the ball. He's got a lot of courage under pressure. And playing in front of his home fans, we know, obviously, how much it means to him."

Short answer: A lot.

"I think there's great depth in this team," Zusi said. "We're pushing each other each game, and in practice as well. And I think that competition, like I said, it's needed for the team to do well."

When Zusi starts for the national team, the Stars and Stripes are 9-2-2. In other words, someone else might be needed, too.

You can follow Sean Keeler on Twitter @seankeeler or email him at seanmkeeler@gmail.com