Victory Snatched Against Slovenia

On This Day in 2010, The Americans Staged an Epic Comeback Against Slovenia, Only to Have Victory Stolen Away

The buildup to the United States' second Group C match carried both opportunity and pressure that would have crushed lesser teams. Following their creditable 1-1 draw with England, Bob Bradley's squad arrived at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg knowing that anything less than a point against Slovenia would likely end their World Cup dreams before they truly began.

The mathematics was stark yet achievable. Slovenia, the smallest nation in the tournament at just two million people, had shocked Algeria 1-0 in their opener and would advance to the Round of 16 for the first time in their history with a victory. For the Americans, representing nearly 310 million people, the pressure was inverted—they were expected to handle a nation that dwarfed them in population and FIFA ranking, yet carry the weight of four years of meticulous preparation that would mean nothing without results.

"What makes teams great is the teams that do it three, four, five, six, seven times in a row," Landon Donovan had warned before the match. "We haven't proven we can do that yet. And that's what we need to prove this time."

The Americans had played 62 games during four years of preparation, convinced that obsessive attention to detail would turn around their fortunes after a disappointing 2006 showing. But all that work would prove meaningless if they couldn't navigate past Slovenia's deceptively organized challenge. Slovenia arrived with quiet confidence and tactical discipline that belied their inexperience in the World Cup. Coach Matjaz Kek had assembled a team that moved with surgical precision—Robert Koren, Valter Birsa, Zlatan Ljubijankic, and Milivoje Novakovic linking beautifully in combinations that left American defenders chasing shadows.

Just as they had against England, the Americans found themselves chasing the June 18 game within minutes. In the 13th minute, Michael Bradley was caught upfield, and neither World Cup debutant Francisco Torres nor the center-back pairing of Jay DeMerit and Oguchi Onyewu provided adequate cover. Left with far too much space 25 yards from goal, Birsa collected possession and unleashed a delightful curler that sailed past a helpless Tim Howard into the left corner.

It was one of the most eye-catching strikes of the tournament to date, a moment of individual brilliance that exemplified everything dangerous about Slovenia's approach. The goal filled the Slovenes with even greater belief. The Americans struggled to find their rhythm against Slovenia's compact defensive shape. For all the impressive buildup play, they desperately lacked a cutting edge. Midway through the first half, Torres's stinging free kick was clawed to safety by goalkeeper Samir Handanovic. The closest the Americans came to an equalizer arrived when a Clint Dempsey cross was poked behind by the faultless Miso Brecko, with Landon Donovan waiting to tap in. It seemed inevitable the US would score from that chance, but Slovenia's defensive discipline held firm.

Just before halftime, that missed opportunity proved costly. Slovenia launched a devastating counterattack that exposed American defensive frailties. Novakovic picked up possession in plenty of space and fed Ljubijankic, who escaped the attention of DeMerit and slotted low past Howard for a 2-0 lead. The Americans trudged to the locker room facing elimination, their World Cup dreams hanging by the thinnest of threads. Slovenia had managed just two shots on target in the first half and converted both with clinical efficiency.

"We talked about how it was time to show our character," DeMerit later recalled. "How the World Cup only comes around once every four years, and if we were going to go down, we were going to go down swinging."

Bob Bradley made decisive changes at halftime, replacing the ineffective Torres and Robbie Findley with Maurice Edu and Benny Feilhaber. The substitutions transformed American energy and purpose. Within five minutes of the restart, they had pulled one back in spectacular fashion. Steve Cherundolo freed Donovan with a pass down the right flank, and when defender Bostjan Cesar tried to intercept and slipped, Donovan found himself with a clear sprint toward the goal. Looking first to cross but with no one available, he decided to shoot, aiming high into the roof of the net. Handanovic flinched and turned his head as the ball rocketed past him.

The goal ignited American belief and shifted momentum decisively. Slovenia, which had been so assured in the first half, now found itself under relentless pressure. The US committed increasing numbers to each attack, and Handanovic had to be alert, making saves on a curling Bradley drive and an Altidore close-range strike straight at the keeper.

In the 82nd minute, the Americans completed their remarkable comeback. Donovan delivered a long cross from the right side to Altidore at the top of the penalty area, and the forward headed the ball perfectly into the path of a charging Michael Bradley. The coach's son poked the ball over Handanovic into the top of the net, and Ellis Park erupted with American celebrations.

"My guess is there are not many teams in this tournament that could have done what we did and arguably won the game," Donovan said afterward. "That's what the American spirit is all about."

But the Americans weren't finished. In the 85th minute, they appeared to complete one of the most remarkable turnarounds in World Cup history. Donovan curled a beautiful free kick into the penalty area, and substitute Edu ran onto the ball, volleying it into the net from about six yards for an apparent 3-2 United States lead. Players and fans became ecstatic. American supporters who had traveled thousands of miles erupted in celebration. In bars and living rooms across America, fans jumped from their seats, believing they had witnessed something magical.

Then they heard the whistle.

Referee Koman Coulibaly of Mali had nullified the goal for an unspecified foul. What was the issue? Was it offside? A handball? The Americans were left to guess. According to FIFA's official play-by-play, a foul had been called on Edu, but replays showed the substitute midfielder had no contact with anyone and was not offside. What the footage revealed was that Slovenian players bear-hugged Americans—Aleksandar Radosavljević wrapped around Michael Bradley. In contrast, others grabbed Altidore and Carlos Bocanegra in blatant holding fouls that went uncalled.

The American players surrounded Coulibaly, demanding an explanation. Donovan and others approached "in a nonconfrontational manner," asking exactly what the call was and on whom it had been made. The referee ignored them completely. The language barrier may have been a factor—Coulibaly's native language was French—but the lack of any explanation left the Americans feeling robbed of a historic victory.

"I'm a little gutted, to be honest," Donovan admitted later. "I don't know how they stole that third goal from us. You can't take away a good goal from a team at the World Cup. That's disappointing."

The 2-2 draw left the Americans with mixed emotions—satisfaction with a fierce comeback from 2-0 down, yet disappointment that something greater had been earned but not awarded. They had demonstrated the resilience and never-say-die attitude that defined their World Cup identity, yet found themselves still needing a result in their final group match.

With England's surprising 0-0 draw with Algeria later that evening, Group C remained broadly open heading into the final matchday. The Americans, sitting on two points alongside England, knew their World Cup fate remained in their own hands. A victory over Algeria would guarantee passage to the Round of 16. Even a draw might suffice if other results fell their way.

"We can still get through," Howard insisted. "Being down 2-0 in a game, I've played long enough to feel very lucky and fortunate to come out of it still in the World Cup."

The performance against Slovenia had revealed both the Americans' greatest strength and their most persistent weakness. Their character and determination when facing adversity were unquestionable—few teams could have mounted such a spirited comeback from two goals down. Yet their tendency to start slowly and make defensive errors continued to put unnecessary pressure on themselves.

As they prepared for their winner-take-all showdown with Algeria, the Americans carried both confidence from their remarkable fightback and frustration from what might have been. They had proven they belonged on football's biggest stage, but now faced the ultimate test of whether they could finish what they had started. The World Cup had given them one more chance to make history. This time, they would need to ensure no referee could take it away from them.