US Germany Soccer

June 4, 2013 by staff

US Germany Soccer, So a morale-boosting victory for the USA before they resume their World Cup qualifying campaign on Friday.

The world wasn’t over when Belgium beat the US last week, and the US don’t rule it now they’ve beaten Germany today, but few teams will score four against even a depleted Germany side, and the US deserve credit. And of course the big news is the return of Jozy Altidore as an attacking threat. The US need him to carry this form forward now. Elsewhere, Dempsey was Dempsey — it’s easy to take him for granted until you realize how many more goals he’s chipped in than any other US player of late. And he hustled throughout the game.

The US still have question marks about some of the soft goals they can concede, and Gonzalez, for all his promise, tends to be there or thereabouts when crucial mistakes are happening. But this was quite a way to celebrate a birthday and nothing will spoil their day. Thanks for all your tweets and emails. Sorry I didn’t get to use them all. See you on Friday for Jamaica vs USA. Good afternoon.

4.30pm ET

FULL TIME: USA 4-3 GERMANY
Replays show the penalty appeal was hardly merited, as Muller went down very softly.

Germany launch a final ball into the box and Howard claims comfortably. He launches it long and the referee blows for time!

Final thoughts in a moment…

Updated at 4.31pm ET
4.29pm ET

90 mins +1
Germany appeal for a penalty amid a chaos of bodies in the box, but the game moves to the other end. Boyd should have headed to the corner to kill time, but instead he shoots high and wide, to Dempsey’s displeasure.

4.27pm ET

90 mins
Podolski looks up on the edge of the box and slams a shot that’s instantly deflected. It could have gone anywhere but skews out for a goal kick.

4.27pm ET

89 mins
The US briefly get a break but Boyd (who replaced Altidore) has a heavy touch and has to settle for a corner. It’s a good one and Jones almost powers a Davis cross home, but Stegen lifts his personal score for the day with a reflex tip over. Good save. There’ll be two minutes added time…

4.25pm ET

87 mins
Sam cuts inside and leaves Castillo for dead out on the flank. He has a lot of space on the edge of the box, but his shot is high and wide. He should have done better, but the Germans are looking dangerous with every attack right now.

4.24pm ET

85 mins
US are looking rather tired now as Germany try to complete the comeback. Gonzalez does just enough to force Muller off the ball at the expense of a corner. It almost deceives Howard who has to punch clear at the last minute as it almost carries over him.

Germany keep the ball around the box and Catillo has to be quick to slam the ball clear as it pinballs around in the box.

4.22pm ET

83 mins
So the Germans get their multi-goal game again, and pull within one of the USA who face a nervy finish to this game. Their backline rather lost their concentration on that goal, and once again Gonzalez was rather implicated in his positioning an ball-watching.

4.20pm ET

GOAL USA 4-3 (DRAXLER!)
The US have a free kick wide left and they use the break to bring off Altidore to a warm round of applause. Germany, perked up by that goal are trying to force a grandstand finish and…they do.

Sam, on for Jansen, sends a low shot skidding across the turf and Howard can only push it into the path of the wide open Draxler who slots home. Game on!

Updated at 4.20pm ET
4.17pm ET

GOAL! USA 4-2 GERMANY (KRUSE!)
Kruse fashions himself a little bit of space near the corner of the box and is able to curl a left foot shot that goes just past the far upright. Then a moment later he cuts in from the other side and on his other foot and smashes a neat finish past Howard at his near post.

Germany will be encouraged by Kruse’s first two performances here and against Ecuador last week. There’s not a lot else they’ll want to remember about this game as it stands. Just over ten minutes to change the story.

4.14pm ET

76 mins
The US are understandably not looking to force anything here, while Germany have not matched the intensity with which they opened the second half since the US scored their third. They get a corner but can’t do anything with it as the ball drifts harmlessly over.

Camera lingering on Evans, who has done fine in this afternoon’s assignment.

4.12pm ET