After going down 1-0 in the first half, the U.S. national team made wholesale substitutions at halftime and took it to Derby County to earn a 2-1 decision in front of 20,376 fans in an exhibition at Mile High Stadium on July 13. U.S. midfielder Eddie Lewis led the U.S. attack, scoring the equalizer in the 64th minute and providing the game-winning assist on second-half sub Ben Olsen’s goal in the 76th minute. Derby County forward Dean Sturridge put the visitors ahead in the 26th minute after working a combination with Darryl Powell at the top of the U.S. penalty area. Sturridge’s perfectly placed chip from just inside the penalty box caught U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel off his line and gave him no chance to make the save. Derby County would also hit two crossbars during the course of the match, the first of which ricocheted high in the air, was headed by U.S. defender Gregg Berhalter, and later cleared by Stewart. The second near-miss caromed off the crossbar and downward to the right post before it was knocked out of the box by the U.S. defense. Berhalter nearly leveled the score in injury time of the first half. His left footed blast was heading for the upper left corner, but Derby County’s Estonian keeper Mart Poom extended well to make a spectacular save. With five substitutions in to start the second half, the U.S. quickly went on the offensive and would tie the match in the 64th minute. Defensive midfielder Chris Armas played a ball to forward Ernie Stewart at the top of the penalty area. Stewart freed himself from a defender and took a right-footed shot that was blocked into the path of Lewis, who tapped the ball past Poom from seven yards out. The U.S. then took the lead twelve minutes later, with Olsen heading in a well-placed Lewis cross at the far post. Olsen, who entered the game in the 62nd minute, was active up and down the right flank and did well to open up the U.S. attack. The U.S. national team will train in Denver for the remainder of the week while preparing for the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, which will take place from July 23 – Aug. 4 in Mexico. The USA will play in Group B and face New Zealand (July 24), Brazil (July 28) and Germany (July 30) at the Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara. July 13 in Denver USA 2 Derby County (England) 1. Goals: Lewis 64, Olsen 76; Sturridge 26. USA — Friedel (Keller, 46), Berhalter (Regis, 54), Llamosa, Balboa (Fraser, 46), Lewis, Maisonneuve (McBride, 46), Williams (Armas, 46), Hejduk, Bravo (Kirovski, 46), Lassiter (Olsen, 62), Stewart. Derby — Poom, Borbokis (Jackson, 46), Laursen, Prior, Dorigo (Boertien, 46), Delap (Elliott, 84), Baiano (Fonseca, 46), Johnson, Beck (Burton, 46), Sturridge (Murray, 46), Powell (Harper, 57). Yellow cards: USA — Maisonneuve 17, Balboa 23; Derby — Dorigo 15. Referee: Ricardo Valenzuela. Att.: 20,376.