GROUP A USA 1 ALGERIA 0:BILL CLINTON was at this game, probably reflecting for 92 minutes that he scored more often than this lot. The USA won the match and Group C in the most dramatic circumstances possible, Landon Donovan's goal relegating England to second place just when they thought they had secured the top spot.
The USA left it late but there can be no arguing with the justice of the final table. England scored twice in three matches. The USA scored four, and had a perfectly good winner chalked off against Slovenia.
“I had started to think it might not be our night but we were still creating chances,” the USA coach, Bob Bradley, said. “We have grown stronger as a group in this World Cup.”
According to his goalscorer, the USA had to take chances as well. “All we could do was keep going,” Donovan said.
“We were taking big risks by the end but the guys at the back did an unbelievable job of stopping counter after counter. It’s not all about the guy who scores the goal.”
It was a far better game than 90 scoreless minutes might suggest. It got off to an explosive start and there were chances at either end right up to Donovan’s winner. Karim Matmour sent a shot narrowly over Tim Howard’s bar in the first minute, and five minutes later Rafik Djebbour rattled the crossbar with a volley.
Stung into action, the USA went to the other end and Herculez Gomez forced the first save of the game from Rais M’bolhi. Gomez then sent a volley of his own too high from Steve Cherundolo’s cross.
A run from Donovan set up the clearest chance of the first half, but when his first effort was blocked Jozy Altidore took the ball off his toes and blasted over when a goal seemed certain. Though Djebbour was causing problems for the USA defence and proving difficult to knock off the ball, most of Algeria’s goal threats were coming from distance.
The USA should have gone in front after an hour, when a good run and cross from Altidore and a defensive slip left Clint Dempsey with a perfect shooting chance. He had all of the goal to aim at from near the penalty spot yet managed to hit a post.
A draw looked inevitable as the board went up for four minutes’ stoppage time, but summoning strength for one last run Donovan released Altidore to break down the right. From his cross the Algerian goalkeeper made another stop from Dempsey, only to find Donovan had carried on running and was available to drill in the rebound. Cue mayhem.
Antar Yahia received a yellow and then red card in the closing seconds for arguing with the referee.
“We need more stability and discipline, but I don’t think we need hang our heads in shame,” Algeria’s coach, Rabah Saadane, said.
Donovan broke down in tears on accepting his man of the match award. “I’ve been through a lot in the last four years and I’m so glad it has culminated in this way,” he blubbed. “It makes me believe in good in the world.”
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