The United States won Group C in the most dramatic circumstances in the second minute of stoppage time in Pretoria, Landon Donovan's goal relegating England to second place just as they thought they had secured the top spot. The States left it late but there can be no arguing with the justice of the final table. England only scored twice in three matches. The USA scored four, and had a perfectly good winner chalked off against Slovenia.
The game got off to an explosive start. Karim Matmour sent a shot narrowly over Tim Howard's bar as early as the first minute, and five minutes layer Rafik Djebbour rattled the same crossbar with an athletic volley. The latter was a good chance, particularly as Djebbour was lucky to beat the offside flag, and with only Howard to beat he might have been better taking the ball down and making sure.
Stung into action, the United States went straight to the other end and Herculez Gomez forced the first save of the game from Raïs M'bolhi. Gomez, in for the suspended Robbie Findlay, then sent a volley of his own too high from Steve Cherundolo's cross. Clint Dempsey had the ball in the net following a strong break by Michael Bradley, though by the time he tapped in Gomez's cross he was correctly ruled to be offside.
A run from Donvan set up the clearest chance of the half, but when his first effort was blocked Jozy Altidore took the ball off his toes and blasted over when a goal seemed certain. Donavan was also in position to have another go, and would almost certainly have produced something a little more composed. Though the muscular Djebbour was causing problems for the US defence and proving difficult to knock off the ball, most of Algeria's actual goal threats were coming from distance. A Matmour strike from 25 yards out was pushed over by Howard just before the interval.
America should have gone in front just before the hour, when a combination of a good run and cross from Altidore and a defensive slip in failing to cut it out left Dempsey with a perfect shooting opportunity. He had the whole of the goal to aim at from a position near the penalty spot yet still managed to slap his shot against a post. Altidore headed straight at the goalkeeper from Dempsey's inviting cross before Algeria almost scored at the other end, Karim Ziani getting a clear sight of goal on a swift counter attack but dragging his shot wide.
A draw looked certain as the board went up for four minutes stoppage time, but summoning strength for one last run Edson Buddle broke down the right and crossed, the Algerian goalkeeper made yet another last-ditch stop from Dempsey, only for Donovan to follow up and drill in the rebound. Cue mayhem. Not just pichside and in the stands but on the pitch, where Antar Yahia received a yellow and then a red card in the closing seconds for furiously arguing with the referee.
© Guardian News and Media 2010
