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  • Donovan (90)
  • Date:2010-06-23
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
  • Attendance:35827
  • Referee:De Bleeckere, F

Live Commentary

90mins

Full Time: UNITED STATES 1-0 ALGERIA. The Stars and Stripes top Group C with Donovan's late goal

90mins

More heartbreak for Algeria as Anther Yahia is sent-off for his second booking

90mins

UNITED STATES 1-0 ALGERIA. The Stars and Stripes break forward after a great chance for Algeria and, after M'Bolhi pulls off a great save from Dempsey, the ball falls to DONOVAN to calmly slot the ball into the bottom corner.

90mins

Beasley is booked for handball in the Algerian penalty area

88mins

Yebda has an effort on the edge of the box but it's a poor effort and goes over the bar

85mins

Rafik Saifi replaces Matmour

84mins

Dempsey's free-kick from 25 yards out is wild and it sails way over the bar. Has to do better

83mins

Mehdi Lacen is booked for a cynical foul on Altidore

80mins

DaMarcus Beasley replaces Jonathan Bornstein

76mins

Anther Yahia is booked after a foul on Altidore

74mins

Donovan's cross comes in but Michael Bradley's header goes over the bar

73mins

Altidore is fouled just outside Algeria's penalty area. Could be a good chance for USA to take the lead with a free-kick

70mins

Algeria nearly score an own goal as Madjid Bougherra's effort to clear the ball from a cross only just goed over his own crossbar

69mins

Adlene Guedioura replaces Ziani

68mins

A great save by M'Bolhi from Buddle's header. End to end stuff as Algeria break forward straight away and with the goal gaping Ziani fails to get his effort on target

65mins

Abdelkader Ghezzal replaces Djebbour

65mins

Feilhaber with a great run on the right side of the penalty area but his cross into the box is blocked and goes out for a corner

64mins

Maurice Edu is replaced by Edson Buddle

63mins

Carlos Bocanegra gets a great block in as Djebbour tries to get on the end of a cross into the box

62mins

Altidore is booked

57mins

What a miss from United States. Altidore runs at the Algeria defence and feeds in Dempsey who hits the post, but with the ball coming straight back to him with an open goal he fails to hit the target

54mins

The Stars and Stripes are looking frustrated in their failure to break down Algeria's defence

51mins

Yahia gets a free header from the corner but is unable to keep the ball down and it goes out for a goal kick

50mins

Algeria are playing well on the counter attack. Djebbour holds the ball up well in attack and eventually gains a corner for Algeria

47mins

Matmour will be glad that the flag was raised for offside to save him from the embarrassment of failing to get the ball on target from six yards out

46mins

United States make a change at half-time as Benny Feilhaber replaces Gomez

46mins

United States get the second half underway

45mins

Half-time: UNITED STATES 0-0 ALGERIA

44mins

Yebda has to be careful as he deliberately clips the back of Donovan's heels. The Algerian defender is already on a booking

43mins

Great effort from Ziani. He runs at the United States defenders and his shot from 20 yards is just over.

42mins

Gomez tries to feed Altidore through on goal. Good interception by the Algerian defender otherwise Altidore would have been one on one with the goalkeeper

40mins

It really is end to end stuff at the moment. Hard to believe there hasn't been a goal yet

37mins

What a miss. Great skill from Donovan into the penalty area. Both Donovan and Altidore swing their foot at the ball, but with the goal gaping Altidore puts it over the bar. Woeful from the former Hull City striker

36mins

Another great chance for Dempsey but his shot is well saved by M'Bolhi.

33mins

Ball into Algeria's box and Dempsey gets on the end of it but he can only direct his header into Anther Yahia. Donovan follows it up but his shot is over the bar. Another great chance wasted by the LA Galaxy playmaker

27mins

United States having plenty of possession after Algeria's early pressure.

24mins

With England taking the lead in the other Group C match, United States are going out if the scores stay the same

22mins

Looking at the replay Dempsey wasn't offside. That is the second goal in two games that has been wrongly disallowed for the Stars and Stripes.

21mins

United States have a a goal ruled out for offside. Gomez has a shot that is blocked but the follow-up falls to Clint Dempsey who puts it into an empty net

18mins

Landon Donovan has a shot from 20 yards but his effort is poor and is way off target.

16mins

Karim Ziani gets the ball on the edge of USA's penalty area but his shot is blocked. All Algeria at the moment

14mins

Unlike Greece yesterday, Algeria are really going for the win when anything else won't be enough to qualify to the next round.

12mins

Hassan Yebda is the first player to be booked

10mins

The Stars and Stripes look nervous in the opening minutes. Twice they have nearly been caught out by Algeria.

8mins

Algeria have another chance. A long ball from Rais M'Bolhi in goal falls to Djebbour and his shot on the edge of the box goes slightly wide of the United States goal.

6mins

Jay DeMerit was in no man's land. Rafik Zoheir Djebbour should have hit the target, but clipped the crossbar over Howard.

5mins

What a chance for Algeria as they hit the crossbar. The best chance they have had in the tournament so far.

3mins

Algeria have started the better team as they look more attack minded than they did against England

1mins

Algeria take a shot straight from kick-off. Was never going to trouble Tim Howard in the United States goal

1mins

The referee F De Bleeckere gets the game underway

0mins

Jozy Altidore and Herculez Gomez lead the attack for United States. Robbie Findley is suspended

0mins

Algeria need to win to have any chance of progressing

0mins

A victory for United States will see them qualify to the knockout stages as they take on Algeria at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria


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Match Report

A stoppage-time winner from Landon Donovan turned what looked like heartbreak into jubilation for the United States against Algeria in Pretoria.

With England beating Slovenia 1-0 in the other group game both the USA and Algeria looked down and out but, two minutes into stoppage time, Jozy Altidore, on the counter-attack, broke into the north African team's penalty area.

The former Hull City striker's cross led to a scramble inside the box and Algeria's goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi could only parry a shot into the path of Donovan who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner to leave USA topping Group C.

Algeria dominated the early stages of the match and, after five minutes, Rafik Zoheir Djebbour got clear of Jay DeMerit on the edge of the box and fired a shot against the crossbar.

The Stars and Stripes looked nervous in the opening minutes but, after 20 minutes, Clint Dempsey had the ball in the back of the net from three yards out after a cross from Herculez Gomez. However, the goal was wrongly ruled out for offside.

In the 36th minute Dempsey was through on goal but the Desert Foxes goalkeeper was able to make a vital block although the Fulham midfielder's shot was straight at M'Bolhi.

USA missed a glorious chance to take the lead a minute late. Donovan's effort was half-blocked by M'Bolhi but, with the Algerian goalkeeper in no-man's land, and with an open goal, Altidore's effort sailed over the bar.

Algeria sat back in the second half and looked to break on the counter-attack, but all the best chances fell to the USA. Altidore's pace troubled the Desert Foxes defence all match and, in the 57th minute, he was able to feed Dempsey through on goal but, after his first effort hit the post, his follow-up went wide with the goal gaping.

It looked like the United States were never going to score and they were heading for an early exit but Donovan's late goal moved them from third to first in Group C.

Algeria had more heartbreak to come as Anther Yahia was sent off a minute after the goal, as the Desert Foxes exited the tournament without scoring a goal.

United States

Algeria

Corners

46

Fouls

1021

Goal attempts

Shots off target

1113

Offsides

24

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