USA line-up: Howard, Bocanegra (c), Bradley, Onyewu (Gomez, 80'), Cherundolo, Dempsey, Donovan, DeMerit, Torres (Edu, HT), Altidore, Findley (Feilhaber, HT)
Slovenia line-up: Handanovic, Brecko, Suler, Cesar, Koren (c), Ljubijankic (Pecnik, 74' (Komac, 94')), Birsa (Dedic, 87'), Novakovic, Jokic, Kirm, Radoslavljevic.
This really was a game of two halves; Slovenia all over USA in the first then USA pegged Slovenia back and should have won it in the second half. It was looking like the unthinkable was actually going to happen in the first half as Slovenia set out the quickest from the start. The looked a completely different team than the one against Algeria and Birsa gave Slovenia the lead on 13 minutes with a thunderbolt past Howard who could only watch in amazement. A great goal deserved a great celebration and Slovenia provided a somewhat creative one, summed up by the BBC1 commentator who said 'The Slovenians were all in a circle looking up to the sky and playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with their hands'. However Francisco Torres, who looked pretty ordinary, made sure Slovenia came back down to Earth as he forced a fingertip save form Handanovic via a decent free-kick. But it wasn't long before Slovenia were back in dream land as they went 2-0 up just before half time; Novakovic produced a brilliant through ball to Ljubijankic who slotted past an oncoming Tim Howard.
Bob Bradley was certainly unimpressed as were we with USA's first-half performance and he roped the changes, bringing on Feilhaber and Edu for Findley and Torres. The tactical changes worked immediately as Donovan latched onto a defensive error which allowed him a free run into the box where he blasted a shot from six yards past a scared looking Handanovic. With USA back in it, they smelt blood and kept looking for the equaliser. Altidore was a constant threat aerially and physically which the Slovenians just couldn't handle. He headed a ball down into the feet of Bob Bradley's son Michael who poked it past Handanovic and USA were level with eight minutes to go. USA should have won the game but the Malian referee set the tone of his game by immediately blowing up for any, however legal, goal-mouth scrambles. A free-kick came in from the inspiring Landon Donovan and was met by Edu who nodded home, but the referee ruled it out for a foul which couldn't be seen by anybody else but him. Even the Slovenians held no appeal when the ball went in the net, but that huge slice of luck gives Slovenia a great chance of progressing needing just a draw against England.
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