U.S. SOCCER: U-20s fall to Japan in tune-up

The U.S. under-20 national team fell to Japan's U-20s, 2-1, Wednesday at the Home Depot Center.

The game is the only one Thomas Rongen's U-20s will have before departing to the United Arab Emirates in November for the World Youth Championship.

U.S. defender Jordan Stone was sent off for his second yellow card in the 65th minute, forcing the Americans to play with 10 men for the final 25 minutes.

Midfielder Eddie Johnson recorded the lone goal for the United States, his seventh for the U-20s in 2003, from the penalty spot after Ricardo Clark was hauled down in the area while lining up for a corner kick.

UNDER-20 SUMMARY:

Oct. 8 in Carson, Calif.

USA 1 Japan 2. Goals: E.Johnson pen. 37; Sakata 50, Kobayashi 76.

USA — Cronin (Baumstark, 86), Stone, Marshall, Cochrane, Klaas, E.Johnson, Clark (Capano, 79), Convey (Gonzalez, 84), Mapp (Harvey, 79), Magee (Adu, 74), Alvarez

Japan — Kawashima, Kondo, Aoki, Kakuda, Konno, Abe, Tokunaga, Kobayashi, Yamagishi (Suzuki, 73), Sakata, Mogi (Hayashi, 83).

Red card: USA — Stone 65.