World Cup 2010 Slovenia v USA full time report
Slovenia 2 USA 2
The United States fought back from two goals down to draw a lively Group C encounter with Slovenia at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
Goals from Valter Birsa and Zlatan Ljubilankič gave the European side a thoroughly deserved advantage at the halfway point, and the minnows looked set to qualify for the second round.
But Landon Donovan’s powerful close range drive and a Michael Bradley effort levelled the scores for Bob Bradley’s side in the second period, and there was still time for substitute Maurice Edu to have an effort controversially disallowed.
The draw keeps alive both side’s hopes of qualifying for the second round, and has given England a chance to go top of the group should they beat Algeria tonight.
This was a free-flowing, end-to-end match, and the result looked beyond doubt after a terrific first half from the Slovenians.
The game was just 13 minutes old when Auxerre’s Birsa collected a pass 25 yards out before curling a sublime left footed effort that wrongfooted Oguchi Onyewu and sailed past a stranded Tim Howard, who didn’t move.
The USA were poor in the first half, but José Francisco Torres drew a good save from Samir Handanovič from a free kick and only a terrific last ditch interception from Mišo Brečko denied Donovan.
It would prove crucial, and some more neat Slovenian passing ended with Novakovic releasing Ljubijankič shortly before the break, and the forward produced the coolest of finishes beyond Howard.
The introductions of Benny Feilhaber and Edu appeared to inspire the US after the break, and Donovan soon broke clear down the right flank before smashing an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net from close range, and from what had appeared to be the tightest of angles.
Altidore appeared to wriggle free soon after, only to be denied by a superb last ditch tackle from Marko Šuler, before Feilhaber shot weakly wide.
Šuler was soon booked for wrestling Altidore to the ground on the edge of the box, before the former Hull City striker smashed a shot straight at Handanovič after the resultant free kick wasn’t cleared.
The US were now getting desperate, and Altidore’s wild effort flew well wide, before Bradley’s more controlled effort was comfortably saved.
That only served as a warning though, and Bradley – son of the US coach Bob Bradley – raced onto an Altidore knockdown and fired past Handanovič.
Edu soon had a goal controversially disallowed after turning in a Donovan free kick, with the referee appearing to have spotted a foul in the penalty area.
In a true game of two halves, a point apiece was perhaps the fairest result.
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