USA vs. Algeria: Last-minute Landon Donovan goal puts Americans atop Group C
US captain Landon Donovan scored a heroic goal in the 91st minute of the USA vs. Algeria game to save the US from crashing out of yet another World Cup in the first round.
HERO: Landon Donovan (c.) celebrates scoring a last-minute goal with teammate Edson Buddle during today's USA vs. Algeria match. The US won the game, 1-0, and finished first in Group C.
Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters
Three minutes. That鈥檚 how close the US was to crashing out of the World Cup, repeating what soccer snobs across the globe insist is US destiny in the world鈥檚 most popular sport.
Instead, the plucky Americans finished at the top of their group thanks to an injury-time goal by captain Landon Donovan.
鈥淭he ball kind of found the man,鈥� said Donovan when asked after the match about the heroic goal. 鈥淭ime kind of stopped.鈥�
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If that鈥檚 what happens when time stops, US fans had to wonder why time didn鈥檛 stop earlier.
There were at least half a dozen times when they thought they would see a goal, only to watch the ball bounce off the post (as it did with a Clint Dempsey shot in the 56th minute), sail just wide, or settle into the sticky gloves of Algerian goalkeeper Ra茂s M'Bolhi.
In fact, US fans did see a goal in the 20th minute, but it was voided by the referee in a dubious offside call.
Until Donovan鈥檚 miracle goal in the 91st minute, fans, announcers, coaches, and even players were beginning to feel as if the refs were the only thing holding them back from advancing to the second round.
Aside from today鈥檚 highly debatable call, the US was clearly robbed of a goal 鈥� and a victory 鈥� in its game against Group C rivals, Slovenia. In one of this World Cup鈥檚 top controversies, Malian referee Koman Coulibaly nullified a late goal that would have won the game for the US. Constant replays of the goal reveal no foul and Coulibaly has not been made to say why the goal was voided.
Now, thankfully, none of that matters.
The US found a way to advance to the second round despite huge and important referee blunders.
Asked about Coulibaly鈥檚 bad call after today鈥檚 game, Donovan waxed patriotic.
鈥淲e embody what Americans are about,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e can whine about it or we can move on.鈥�
And move on they will, to face whichever team finishes second in Group D.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not done yet,鈥� said Donovan. 鈥淲e believe.鈥�
Coulibaly, however, is done. FIFA left him for the next round of World Cup matches.
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