CARSON, CALIFORNIA (TICKER) —Clint Dempsey scored 53 seconds into the contest as the United States men’s national team set the tone and cruised to an 8-0 triumph over Barbados on Sunday in the first leg of a two-match qualifying series for the 2010 World Cup.

Dempsey tallied again in the 63rd minute, but by that time the Americans held a 5-0 advantage and were thoroughly outclassing Barbados, which entered the contest tied for 121st in the FIFA rankings.

Houston Dynamo striker Brian Ching scored two goals, Landon Donovan added his 36th career tally in international competition and Michael Bradley and Eddie Johnson also scored for the United States, which tied its highest-scoring output in history. The Americans also scored eight goals in a victory over the Cayman Islands on November 14, 1993.

The United States, which also benefited from an own-goal on Sunday, concludes its home-and-home series against the Caribbean nation on June 22.

“It’s good to get the whole thing underway,” United States coach Bob Bradley said. “We spent a lot of time thinking about just getting off on the right foot, and a goal early like that certainly is getting off on the right foot.

“From there, it’s just an exercise of staying sharp, trying to play the right ball, the right timing, and finish off some of plays so we could have a margin. We were able to do that, so in those ways it was a definite success.”

Seeking their sixth straight World Cup appearance, the Americans set the tone for the match right from the start at the Home Depot Center.

Carlos Bocanegra’s left-footed cross was cleaned up by Dempsey, who settled the ball and slipped it past goalkeeper Alvin Rouse to give the United States an early lead.

Bradley, who is the son of Bob Bradley, doubled the Americans’ advantage in the 12th minute after taking advantage of the netminder being out of position and slapping the ball just inside the post.

Ching gave the United States a three-goal bulge in the 20th minute after accepting a feed from midfielder Pablo Mastroeni and beating Rouse.

The Americans, who entered the contest ranked 21st in the FIFA ranking, maintained the 3-0 lead before opening the contest with a pair of goals just four minutes apart in the second half.

After Donovan gave the United States a 4-0 advantage on a free kick in the 59th minute, Dempsey added his second tally of the game in the 63rd minute.

“I think we felt confident that as the game wore on (that) fitness was going to be an issue,” Donovan said. “With each goal, it gets a little easier. We wanted to make sure we ended it here, we didn’t want to go there having any doubt, so that was good.”

Johnson, who entered the contest as a substitute for Donovan, scored in the 82nd minute. After an own-goal gave the Americans a 7-0 lead, Ching capped the scoring in the 89th minute.

American goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who was playing in place of Tim Howard, was never really challenged on Sunday. Howard strained his back in practice on Friday.

“As a goalkeeper, you go in to these types of games knowing you’re not going to have a whole lot to do, but that is part of the battle and you have to mentally focused for 90 minutes,” Guzan said. “Anytime you get to play with the national team and help the team to a shutout, it feels good.”