The United States, which conceded an equalizer three minutes into second-half stoppage time, fell, 2-1, to Argentina in the quarterfinals of the World Youth Championship on Friday.

Nine minutes into overtime, U.S. defender Drew Moor chopped down Franco Cangele as the Argentine tried to turn the corner near the endline, setting up the penalty kick that Fernando Cavenaghi stroked into the lower corner past U.S. keeper Steve Cronin for the golden goal.

The Americans dominated possession in the first half but failed to translate it into solid scoring chances. Argentina threatened only twice in the first half, both times on long-range free kicks. Cronin handled the first easily and made a spectacular save on the other.

The Argentines were an improved team in the beginning of the second half and forced a finger-tip save from Cronin after weaving their way through the American defense. The Argentines also began pressuring the Americans well in the U.S. half before Freddy Adu initiated a counterattack that led to the Americans' 59th-minute lead.

Adu won a ball in the U.S. penalty area, retrieved his own high clearance and dribbled about 60 yards before sliding the ball into Bobby Convey's path. Convey hammered a low left-footed shot into the Argentine goal from 18 yards through Argentine keeper Gustavo Eberto's hands.

As the Argentines fought for the equalizer the Americans continued to threaten the Argentines' goal. In the 75th minute, Eddie Johnson beat an offside trap on an inswinging Convey free kick from the left but his diving header from seven yards went over the crossbar.

Cangele was lucky to see a yellow instead of a red card in the 84th minute when he kicked Cronin, who had gone down to smother the ball, in the head.

Johnson, who would have had a couple of good chances earlier had he stayed onside, shot wide with only Eberto to beat after a fine feed from Convey in the 89th minute.

Seconds later Cronin denied Javier Mascherano on a sharp close-range shot to the near post to preserve the lead.

But four minutes later Cronin had no chance after Mascherano headed home from seven yards as two U.S. defenders, Zak Whitbread and Ryan Cochrane, watched from nearby without attempting to interfere. The pass that set Mascherano up had been lofted through the middle of the penalty area from 24 yards out.

The Argentines outshot the Americans 18-6. Ten of the Argentine shots found the frame compared to two by the United States.

Argentina, the defending champion and winner of three of the last four U-20 world championships, faces Brazil in the semifinals. Spain meets Colombia in the other semifinal. The same four nations reached the final four of U-17 World Cup in August.

Quarterfinal
Dec. 12 in Abu Dabi
Argentina 2 USA 1
Goals: Mascherano 90, Cavenaghi pen. 100; Convey 59.
USA — Cronin, Moor, Marshall, Cochrane, Whitbread, Grabavoy, Mapp (Quaranta, 73), Clark, Adu (Klaas, 78), Convey, Johnson.
Argentina — Eberto, Rodriguez, Ferreyra, Romero, Mascherano, Zabaleta (Carrusca, 59), Colace (Sosa, 74), Cavenaghi, Bottinelli, Montillo (Cangele, 60), Herrera.