2:13 p.m. | Updated Edson Buddle, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore scored first-half goals as a surprisingly offense-minded United States national team beat Slovenia, 3-2, in a friendly in Ljubljana on Tuesday afternoon.
The Americans, who had scored only two goals in a 1-4-1 start under their new coach Jurgen Klinsmann, came out in a more attacking, 4-4-2 formation against Slovenia. Buddle and Altidore started up front, with Dempsey tucked behind, and they took the game to Slovenia from the opening minute, when Fabian Johnson nearly scored on a rocketed shot from the top of the penalty area. Buddle opened the scoring in the ninth minute, pinging a 25-yard shot in off the left post after Altidore and Dempsey forced a turnover.
Slovenia’s Tim Matavz answered after a defensive error in the 27th minute set him in alone on Tim Howard, but Dempsey restored the lead by heading in a Michael Bradley corner kick in the 41st minute, and Altidore buried a penalty two minutes later after Johnson was hauled down in the area.
Matavz scored again early in the second half as Slovenia turned up the pressure and the United States seemed to wobble as it got flustered, but the Americans held on for a win that will end a tumultuous — and mostly disappointing — year on a high note.
“It’s good to get back to winning ways,” Dempsey said in a postgame interview on ESPN2, admitting that the Americans were put on their heels after taking the lead with a dominant first-half effort. “We were put up against the wall at the end, but we’re happy with the win.”
Read on for lineups and live analysis from the game.
11:36 a.m. | Original post Here’s the starting lineup Coach Jurgen Klinsmann picked for the United States’ friendly against Slovenia in Ljubljana on Tuesday. The game is a rematch of an eventful meeting at the World Cup in 2010.
Howard; Cherundolo, Goodson, Bocanegra (captain), Chandler; Beckerman, Bradley, Johnson, Dempsey; Buddle, Altidore.
Reserves: Hamid, Orozco Fiscal, Williams, Edu, Jones, Rogers, Shea. Not in 18: Beasley, Morales, Onyewu.
Fabian Johnson gets his first start, and Bocanegra his 100th cap. Klinsmann also has two strikers — Buddle and Altidore — and Dempsey behind. We’ll see how they run out, formation-wise, but it appears he wouldn’t mind seeing a goal today either.
It’s looks to be a cold and foggy night in Slovenia, but the United States will be looking to light a fire under it offense. It has only two goals in Klinsmann’s first six games as coach — a fact that is either part of the process of building a winning team or a roiling five-alarm fire, depending on your point of view. Klinsmann’s lineup, and Tuesday’s result, will no doubt reinforce opinions in both sides of that debate.
Debating whether I should watch the US play today or stab myself in the leg with a fork 50 times. Its a toss up.
Eric Wynalda
Wynalda11
We’ll try to keep you updated here and on Twitter during the match. Come back after the game for player ratings.
11:48 a.m. |Slovenia’s Lineup
The goalkeeper and the back four are intact from the World Cup meeting in 2010.
Handanovic; Brecko, Suler, Cesar, Jokic; Vrsic, Bacinovic; Ljubijankic Ilicic, Kirm; Matavz
9th Minute |U.S. 1, Slovenia 0; Buddle Strikes
Lots of pressure early from the two strikers leads to a chance for Buddle, who picks up a loose ball after good work by Altidore and Dempsey and fires in a 25-yard strike off the left post. Great goal. Even better sign for U.S.
Altidore really should have made it 2-0 off a Johnson cross a minute later, but managed to crumble in goalmouth and send it over.
26th Minute |U.S. 1, Slovenia 1; Defensive Blunder
Matavz slips inside Chandler, beating the offside trap and the high U.S. defensive line to go in alone on Howard. High schooler could have finished it.
41st Minute |U.S. 2, Slovenia 1; Dempsey header
From two goals in six games to two goals in one half as Dempsey bangs in a header out front off a Bradley corner.
43rd Minute |U.S. 3, Slovenia 1; Altidore PK
Chandler with a great slotted ball to Johnson, who gets pulled down by Brecko as he makes a nice turn in the box. Altidore buries the PK lower left. There’s blood in the water now.
62nd Minute |U.S. 3, Slovenia 2; Matavz Again
Slovenia, denied by the crossbar, then Howard, then the right post, finally gets one in as Matavz takes a laid-off ball in the area, goes right around Beckerman and fires past Howard. You could sense it coming. U.S. really on its heels in the first part of the half here.
80th Minute |U.S. Hanging On
From an exchange I had with John Godfrey at halftime:
@jhGodfrey Learning to close out games that are won is a skill worth practicing too. 3-3 tie would be worse than loss right now.Andrew Das
AndrewDasNYT
Full Time |Final: U.S. 3, Slovenia 2
After one last scare on a free kick in the 94th minute, the United States closes out its first win in Europe in three years. (8:50 p.m. | Updated Last win in Europe was at Poland in March 2008.) Three goals and a win; Klinsmann sure won’t be complaining, even if his team played far better in the first half than the second.