They had qualified the United States for its sixth straight World Cup, rallying to beat host Honduras Saturday night, 3-2, in as thrilling a match as the United States has played in years. So they were filled with joy. They also were consumed with relief.

And immediately thoughts turned to an even tougher task - getting out of the first round in South Africa next summer and wiping out the sting of 2006's disappointment.

"Hopefully the sky's the limit for us," goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "We've played some big games in the last few years, and I'm hoping that we go down there and we're not afraid of, you know, what they throw at us."

Of the 19 teams that have qualified for next year's 32-nation field, the United States is among only six nations to have reached six straight World Cups, joined by Brazil, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Spain.

After the United States made an unexpected run to the quarterfinals in 2002, its best showing since the original World Cup in 1930, there were thoughts among some American soccer fans that the national team was ready to take its place among the powers. The first-round exit in Germany, with dismal losses to the Czech Republic and Ghana bookending a bloody tie against eventual champion Italy, led to a shakeup - with Bob Bradley replacing Bruce Arena as coach after Juergen Klinsmann didn't take the job.

"Progress isn't linear," U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said. "Brazil goes to the World Cup expecting to win. Everyone else goes to get through the first round. It's an impossible situation to say we're going to get better at every World Cup. It's not a time trial. Others teams are getting better."