Goalkeeper Robert Green may be the most despised man in England after making a terrible mistake in the Group C opener, USA vs England.
Steven Gerrard claimed an early lead for England, taking advantage of a momentary defensive breakdown to easily touch the ball past US keeper Tim Howard in the 4th minute.
The US team rallied and fought hard to stay in the match. Their perseverance paid off just before halftime, when Clint Dempsey skillfully maneuvered past Gerrard outside the box and took a shot.
Dempsey’s shot, taken from distance in the 40th minute, should’ve been easily scooped up by West Ham United keeper Green. But he fumbled the awkwardly moving ball and couldn’t scramble back in time to prevent it crossing the line, allowing the equalizing goal.
Neither team could find the back of the net in the second half. US central defenders Oguchi Onyewu and Jay DeMerit effectively closed down Wayne Rooney, while Man of the Match Howard made a series of fantastic saves off powerful shots from Emile Heskey and Frank Lampard. On the other end, Green partially redeemed himself after blocking a one-on-one strike from Jozy Altidore after the latter outpaced Jamie Carragher into open space.
Slovenia leads Group C with 3 points, after a lucky 1-0 victory over Algeria. England and US, both still favored to move into the Round of 16, follow with one point each.
