Gutted

"I'm a little gutted to be honest."

-Landon Donovan, in the post-game interview

Just throw out the awful US first half and their requisite inspired second half. The story of this game is the unbelievably bad call that negated the 3rd US goal. Off a restart near the corner of the 18, Landon Donovan crossed to Maurice Edu who volleyed the ball into the net. The referee waived off the goal.

After the game, a furious Michael Bradley charged the ref, demanding to know why he waived the goal. The referee ignored him. The players left the field still confused. Fifa's response after the game: "No statement."

The referee, from Mali, evidently can't speak English. That may explain some of the problem. It was also his first World Cup match. In hindsight, the ref called a ton of fouls on the US on these restarts. It seems that his plan was to give advantage to the offense outside the box, and then advantage to the defense inside it. That's not atypical. Yet, on every prior foul he called on the US, there was actually a foul. Much of the time, it was 50/50, with both teams equally guilty, but at least a case could be made that the US player was in the wrong. Not so on the disallowed goal. In fact, replays confirmed two Slovenian players had their marked men in bearhugs! (re-enactment right here)

I've watched soccer all my life, and I've never seen such an awful call. There are folks out there who could cite Maradona's 'Hand-of-God' goal or even Germany's non-call handball against the US in the '02 quarters. Those were both non-calls. This was a case of a legitimate goal waived off for no apparent reason. I can forgive the ref missing a call much more easily than making one up.

Just dreadful. The only consolation is that the US is still alive and may advance, with a little help from England/Algeria.

As for the game itself, I'm not gonna curse up and down the US side. The fact is that the game HAD to go the way it did. The US only plays inspired, incredible soccer when their backs are up against the wall. We saw it last year against Egypt and Spain, after the US sleepwalked against Italy and Brazil (losing by an aggregate score of 6-1). We saw it again after Charlie Davies' car crash. Altidore played like a man possessed against Costa Rica.

For better or worse, this is the US team - capable of extreme ineptitude and sublime determination.

My boy Jose Torres did indeed get the start in midfield, and Bob Bradley scapegoated the kid by subbing him out at halftime. Torres was perhaps a bit slow to react on defense, but I thought he played pretty well. It's somewhat unfortunate for him that Slovenia's first goal came near the middle of the field. Neither Donovan nor Michael Bradley tracked back to mark Valter Birsa who snuck behind both. Birsa took the ball about 25 yards out. Onyewu was slow to close him down, and Birsa wasted no time unleashing a finely placed shot into the net.

Slovenia had a handful of other chances as well that narrowly missed the target. They were definitely the more dangerous team out of the gate. It's no shock the US defense is extremely porous. They used up all their positive karma against England. That fact was cemented late in the first half. With the US completely dominating and narrowly missing the equalizer a minute before, Slovenia broke free, sending Zlatan Ljubijankic alone on Howard. Ljubijankic narrowly beat the offside trap, and, for some reason, he was completely unmarked. It's difficult to comprehend what the back four were thinking on that one. 2-0 Slovenia, and the game seemed sealed.

But this is the yanks. They never say die, right? Coach Bradley took out Torres (who almost scored on a restart in the first) and Findley, and subbed in Maurice Edu and Bennie Feilhaber. Edu offered more bite in the midfield and Feilhaber is a decent passer. Not horrible subs, as they allowed the US to control the midfield almost completely. Yet, it was a long ball from Cherundolo that spurred the first goal. Donovan raced past his man to collect Cherundolo's long pass. Donovan dribbled toward net at a sharp angle. No doubt his first instinct was to pass inside but instead he ripped a rocket from about six yards out that made the goalie flinch. It was awesome.

The US continued to attack, which left them susceptible to the counter. Howard (and the defense) made the necessary last-ditch saves which kept them in the game. Altidore regularly beat his man and earned a handful of freekicks outside the Slovenian box. He almost scored on one restart but his shot went right at the keeper. Then, with hope fading in the 82nd minute, the US equalized. It was another long ball. Donovan sent a deep cross into the box. Altidore beat his man and headed it across his body to an onrushing Bradley. Bradley took the ball on the up-hop and somehow kept it under the crossbar. 2-2. The US players and coaches mobbed Bradley on the sideline. The camera then showed American fans teary-eyed in the stands.

Four minutes later, the ref inexplicably and eternally put his mark on the match.