The United States national team earned their second consecutive win of 2006 on Friday night, defeating Japan 3-2 in an international friendly at SBC Park, before a crowd of 37,365 fans.
Goals from Real Salt Lake defender Eddie Pope and New England Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey sent the U.S. into a deserved half-time lead, while Revs forward Taylor Twellman added the third just minutes into the second half. Seiichiro Maki pulled one back midway through the second period, while Yuji Nakazawa scored in second half stoppage time.
Japan opened the match in an unorthodox 3-6-1 formation, and were first to settle into the match. Just five minutes into the game, Japanese midfielder Shinji Ono dispossessed Kansas City Wizards midfielder Kerry Zavagnin at the top of the U.S. penalty area, but his centering feed was cut out by Real Salt Lake's Chris Klein, who was making just his second international appearance as a right back.
A minute later, a quickly taken free kick put Akira Kaji in the clear, but his shot from 20 yards flew just over the crossbar of Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
It was at this point that the U.S. took over the match, dominating the rest of the half by ruthlessly exploiting the wings. The L.A.'s Todd Dunivant and New England's Pat Noonan began to link up well on the left side, and Dempsey's surging runs on the right flank forced the Japanese to concede numerous free kicks.
The onslaught began when Josh Wolff's point blank header in the 18th minute was superbly saved by Japanese 'keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, and Pope's glancing header from a Landon Donovan corner kick four minutes later flashed just wide.
It proved a brief respite however, as Pope put the U.S. ahead in the 24th minute. Dunivant's long pass found Twellman in the box, and his knockdown was duly lashed home by Pope for the eighth international goal of his career.
The Americans kept the pressure on, and Dempsey was rewarded for an energetic first half with a well-taken goal in the 39th minute. A Wolff entry pass into Twellman was one-timed into the path of his club teammate, and Dempsey finished off the play with a composed finish.
The U.S. began the second half in similarly dominating fashion. After a Japanese defender hit the crossbar in the 47th minute, Twellman headed the rebound just over the bar. But Twellman's agony was short-lived, as he extended the lead with his fourth goal in the last two games. On this occasion, the New England forward shook loose from his marker, and nodded home Donovan's corner kick in the 50th minute.
Japan pulled a goal back in the 61st minute, when second-half substitute Maki avoided the attention of Klein long enough to head home Akira Kaji's cross from the right wing.
Both teams made numerous substitutions, and play became ragged as a result. The Americans still did plenty of attacking, and Eddie Johnson's header from another Donovan corner kick went narrowly wide of goal in the 70th minute.
But Japan began to look more dangerous as time went on, and nearly scored twice in the span of a minute. A long shot from Yuki Abe flew just over the bar in the 74th minute, and a Nakazawa header went just wide a minute later.
Nakazawa claimed the final goal of the game in second-half stoppage time when he volleyed home Mitsuo Ogasawara's corner kick to make the score 3-2. It set up a somewhat nervous finish, but the U.S. hung on to claim the victory.
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Socceror its clubs.
USA vs. Japan -- February 10, 2006
International Friendly
SBC Park - San Francisco, California
USA - Eddie Pope (Taylor Twellman) -- 24th minute
USA - Clint Dempsey (Taylor Twellman) -- 39.
USA - Taylor Twellman (Landon Donovan) -- 50.
JPN - Seiichiro Maki (Akira Kaji) -- 60.
JPN - Yuji Nakazawa (Mitsuo Ogasawara) -- 90+
Lineups:
USA: 22-Kevin Hartman; 3-Todd Dunivant (6-Heath Pearce, 90), 12-Jimmy Conrad, 23-Eddie Pope, 17-Chris Klein (25-Brian Carroll, 79); 13-Pat Noonan (7-Chris Rolfe, 87), 5-Kerry Zavagnin, 10-Landon Donovan (Capt.), 8-Clint Dempsey (14-Ben Olsen, 69); 16-Josh Wolff (9-Eddie Johnson, 58), 20-Taylor Twellman (11-Brian Ching, 68)
Subs not used: 24-Matt Reis.
Head Coach: Bruce Arena
JPN: 23-Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi; 2-Makoto Tanaka (17-Makoto Hasebe, 55) 5-Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Capt.), 22-Yuji Nakazawa; 21-Akira Kaji, 15-Takashi Fukunishi (30-Yuki Abe, 55), 4-Yasuhito Endo (27-Hisato Sato, 46), 14-Alessandro Santos, 8-Mitsuo Ogasawara, 18-Shunji Ono (19-Masashi Motoyama, 68); 9-Tatsuhiko Kubo (16-Seiichiro Maki, 46)
Subs not used: 12-Ryfota Tsuzuki, 20-Keisuke Tsuboi, 24-Teruyuki Moniwa, 25-Shingi Murai, 31-Yuichi Komano, 33-Takashi Shimoda.
Head Coach: Zico
Stats Summary: USA JPN
Shots 22 7
Saves 2 5
Corner Kicks 13 5
Fouls 12 14
Offside 2 2
Misconduct Summary:
USA - Chris Klein (caution): 8th minute
JPN - Yasuhito Endo (caution): 26.
JPN - Yuji Nakazawa (caution): 32.
USA - Ben Olsen (caution): 75.
USA - Eddie Pope (caution): 76.
Officials:
Referee: Horacio Elizondo (ARG)
1st Asst.: Dario Garcia (ARG)
2nd Asst.: Rodolfo Otero (ARG)
Fourth Official: Brian Hall (USA)
Attendance: 37,365
Weather: Cool, 60 degrees
