Facing an already-eliminated Poland in its final group game, the United States took it on the chin but bounced back for second-round action, thanks to South Korea's win over Portugal.
DEEP HOLE. Emmanuel Olisadebe and Pawel Kryszalowicz slammed close-range shots into the net in the first five minutes as Poland overran the United States right out of the gate.
The game marked the first time since Bruce Arena took over as head coach in October 1998 that the United States gave up two goals in the first 45 minutes, let among the first five minutes.
The game would have been a blowout but for Brad Friedel's goalkeeping.
Poland had a 3-0 lead until the 83rd minute when Landon Donovan scored to make the final score 3-1.
Only once before during the Arena era had the United States trailed by three goals. They briefly fell behind Germany, 4-1, in March before Clint Mathis' second goal made the final score 4-2.
TURNING POINT. Poland's goals were just two of the salvos fired in a frantic first five minutes.
In the fourth minute, Donovan headed in a loose ball, but the goal was disallowed for his hip-check on Polish defender Arkadiusz Glowacki.
''I'm 5-foot-8, a buck-fifty [150 pounds], and that guy's at least 6-2, so you tell me who should be falling on the ground,'' said Donovan. ''I feel like he flopped, but that's the way it goes. The referee called it, so it's a foul.''
Poland raced down the field and scored a minute later to go ahead, 2-0.
SET PLAYS. Poland capitalized on corner kicks to score its first and third goals.
Four of the six goals scored against the Americans in the first round came on set plays. South Korea's Ahn Jung Hwan headed home a free kick, and Beto scored for Portugal on his own rebound after heading a corner kick at goal.
Friedel saved a penalty kick by Zurawski, his second such stop in as many games, prompting Arena to comment: ''We are on a roll right now on penalty kicks. We would rather give teams a penalty kick than a corner kick at this point.''
YELLOW CARDS. Arena elected not to start DaMarcus Beasley, who was one of three players carrying a yellow card heading into the third game. A player must sit out the second round if he picks up his second card in the third game. Otherwise, the slate is wiped clean for the knockout phase.
Beasley came on as a sub in the first half after Agoos, who also was carrying a card, suffered a strained calf that will keep him out of action for at least a month.
Frankie Hejduk, the third player carrying a card, picked up a yellow in the 72nd minute and had to miss the round-of-16 match against Mexico.
OVER IN INCHEON. FIFA schedules the third games of a group at the same time so one team doesn't know beforehand the result it needs to play for, but the early U.S. deficit had the same effect.
Portugal and South Korea, playing at the same time in Incheon, needed only to tie for both teams to advance. The only chance for the United States to advance was a Portuguese defeat.
Park Ji Sung scored for South Korea in the 70th minute, setting off a huge roar among the Koreans in the Daejeon crowd. The American players said they knew Korea had taken the lead, but they didn't know the circumstances of the game – the two red cards – or the wild ending – Sergio Conceicao's volley off the post.
When the 1-0 result from Incheon was transmitted to the U.S. bench, there were four minutes left in the USA-Poland game. The players on the bench began celebrating, despite being behind, 3-1, and the players on the field were told to ease up and not risk injuries or cards.
NUREMBERG TEAMMATES. Pole Jacek Krzynowek and Sanneh play for German club Nuremberg. Months before the World Cup, they agreed to swap jerseys if both of them played.
On the second Polish goal, Krzynowek ran into space vacated by Sanneh's challenge to make the final pass for Kryszalowicz. Krzynowek also took the corner kicks from which Poland scored its other two goals.
''In a way, it works out perfectly,'' said Sanneh. ''Even though we lost, we still advance, and for the Polish team, they were really struggling, and the press at home was really killing them. It allowed them to save face, and we still got through. On that personal level, I was happy for him.''
by Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney