Michael Bradley got his foot on the end of one in the 107th minute to put the USA up 2-1. The USA held on to the lead to advance to the Quarter Final game against Austria. Once again the USA gutted a game out, and with a little luck, they were able to save the win. I don't think enough can be said about the importance of grinding one out. It is what separates the 'good' from the 'great' teams.
Uruguay was much better than Brasil at cutting out passing lanes and isolating the wingers. Freddy Adu ended up alone in the middle. The USA started bypassing the midfield and sending longball after longball over the top.
Rongren made no adjustments and we saw giveaway after giveaway.
The possesion at halftime saw the Americans with 52%, but Uruguay making much more use of their 48%.
The referee lost control of the game and early in the second half Jozy Altidore went out with an injury from a scissors tackle (no card).Rongren replaced him with Akpan which seemed to be of little help. Altidore is able to hold the ball and wait for midfielder's runs but Akpan just seemed lost. Zizzo appeared to be limping and in the 54th minute Rongren put Dax McCarty in for him. Around the 70th minute Uruguay scores off a rebound that Perk dropped. Dropped may be harsh but it was some very 'soft hands'.
The goal seemed to wake up the USA who started applying more pressure. Rongren decided to use his last sub to put in Ferrari for Beltran in the 81st minute. Two minutes later the Uruguay coach decided to go defensive and pulled his goal scorer Suarez. Almost immediately Uruguay began losing its shape as the USA began applying more pressure. Gustavo Ferrin (Uruguay's coach) could also see things starting to unravel, and was screaming up and down the sideline. In the 87th minute Danny Szetela
brought down a ball in the box and put in a cross for a crashing Akpan who was cut down from behind by Cardaccio who scored the own goal (how just). The US barely held onto the tie as Uruguay sent a header of the post in stopage time.
In extra time the Americans just got better and better, it appeared that the USA's fitness played a big role (it is hard to judge because Uruguay was throwing alot of elbows, stomping on feet, and making late tackles, which just really takes it out a player.). Finally in the 107th minute a Freddy Adu corner was slapped at by the Uruguay keeper and was forced back in by Wake Forest's Julian Valentin, and finished by Michael Bradley.
This was an ugly game, but I can't tell you how important this kind of win is. The USA was losing with four minutes left and came back not only to tie it, but win in overtime. They worked hard, got lucky, and gutted it out. To use a Ray Hudsonism they showed "testicular fortitude". I feel like this game drove a stake through the heart of the "USA underperformers" title.
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