After pulling ahead from a goal down, the U.S. allows a goal in the final seconds and the Dutch get a 2-2 draw.
{OLYMPIC MEN'S SOCCER} {Americans let one get away against the Netherlands}
Poised on the brink of an unexpected place in the quarterfinals of the Olympic men's soccer tournament, the U.S. looked down, blinked, suffered vertigo and fell.
Instead of a one-goal victory over the Netherlands in Tianjin, China, on Sunday, the Americans came away with a 2-2 tie after giving up a goal with seconds left.
So, while medal favorites Argentina, Brazil and Italy each advanced to the final eight with victories Sunday, the U.S. was left with a decisive third match against Nigeria on Wednesday in Beijing.
The Americans have to either tie or defeat the Nigerians or they will be on the next flight home. Yet they played well enough in the second half Sunday to deserve a spot in the knockout phase, coming back from a goal down to take the lead, only to throw it all away.
It was a cruel lesson learned, and no one took it harder than Coach Peter Nowak.
"It's tough," the former Polish international player said. "As I told the guys in the locker room, that's the way the game goes sometimes. Not too many people gave us a chance . . . but we were very close to beating them."
The Dutch, who had been tied, 1-1, by Nigeria in their opening game, controlled matters from the outset, with Liverpool winger Ryan Babel giving them the lead in the 16th minute.
Babel's header from close range was blocked by goalkeeper Brad Guzan, but the ball rebounded to Babel and he hammered it into the roof of the net.
The Dutch, two-time European under-21 champions, continued to show their class in the first half, but in the second half they came out curiously flat and let the game get away from them.
After Dutch goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer had pulled off two superb saves on a shot by Stuart Holden and a header by Brian McBride, the Americans finally found a way to beat him.
A clever pass by Freddy Adu sprang Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan free and Kljestan took full advantage. He danced past one defender and unleashed a right-footed shot that sailed into the upper left corner of the net to tie the score, 1-1.
That was in the 64th minute. Eight minutes later, the U.S. grabbed the lead.
As the Dutch scrambled but failed to clear the ball out of their own penalty area, U.S. defender Michael Orozco, who plays for San Luis in Mexico, fired a cross from the left and the ball ricocheted off the leg of forward Jozy Altidore and into the net.
It was a lucky goal but fully deserved.
