Bradley´s late strike seals US draw with Slovenia

Midfielder Michael Bradley’s late goal sealed the United States’ fight back as they drew 2-2 with Slovenia at the World Cup on Friday to keep their hopes of reaching the last 16 alive.

Slovenia were on course for the knockout round having led 2-0 at half-time thanks to goals by midfielder Valter Birsa and striker Zlatan Ljubijankic before the US fought back to force the equaliser and even had a third goal disallowed.

First right-wing Landon Donovan scored a superb goal on 48 minutes, then the equaliser came with eight minutes left as US striker Jozy Altidore flicked on a header deep in the penalty area and Bradley fired his shot home.

With time almost up, Malian referee Koman Coulibaly then disallowed a goal from a free-kick after a header by Maurice Edu which would have given the Americans a sensational victory.

The result left Slovenia on top of Group C with four points, two ahead of the US while England, with one point, play Algeria, yet to get off the mark, later on Friday in Cape Town.

The group concludes next Wednesday when Slovenia play England and the US face Algeria.

Man-of-the-match Donovan said he was mystified by the decision to rule out Edu’s later header.

“I am assuming it was a foul, it couldn’t have been an offside, we asked the referee many times, but he couldn’t explain it,” said Donovan.

“I don’t know what to make of it, I didn’t see a foul, I just saw a free-kick and a goal, but he had no answer. I don’t know how much English the referee speaks, but we asked him many times what the call was for and he didn’t answer us.”

With his side now set to face England in their last group game, Slovenian coach Matjaz Kek said he was proud of his squad.

“But there is of course something of an after taste, expectations have not been met,” said Kek.

“We were 2-0 up and then we didn’t overcome the pressure and there was a blunder or two. There is a lot of pride and some disappointment, but we might well benefit from it ahead of playing England.”

Slovenia had got off to the ideal start when Auxerre’s Birsa drilled in a long-range shot from 30 metres out which flew into the back of the net with US goalkeeper Tim Howard rooted to the spot after 13 minutes.

Centre-back Oguchi Onyewu’s challenge on Birsa looked to have left the goalkeeper unsighted.

Slovenia centre-back Bostjan Cesar then picked up the first yellow card of the match when he fouled Altidore on 35 minutes and Francisco Torres’ free-kick forced the Slovenian goalkeeper into a diving save.

The US threatened with half-time approaching as a Bradley shot was saved, but in the melee striker Robbie Findley was booked for handball and misses the next game against Algeria next Wednesday in Pretoria.

With three minutes left of the half, Ljubijankic latched onto a well-timed pass which split the US defence and drilled his shot past Everton’s Howard to make it 2-0.

US coach Bradley made two changes at the break bringing Edu in as a defensive midfielder and putting Benny Feilhaber on the wing.

It paid off as US Galaxy’s Donovan controlled a long ball, dribbled into the area and drilled his shot into the roof of the net past Slovenia goalkeeper Samir Handanovic just three minutes into the half.

Slovenian centre-back Marko Suler was booked on 69 minutes for hauling down Altidore just outside the area and the forward managed to latch onto the end of the resulting free-kick but fired his shot at Handanovic.

With the US upping the pace, Slovenia’s left-wing Andraz Kirm also went into the referee’s book as did Bojan Jokic for a foul on Donovan just before Bradley’s late equaliser.