In fact, the Americans were at a deficit from the start of the tournament. They gave up the two quickest goals of this World Cup \u201d\u201d in the fourth minute against England in their first match and in the fifth minute Saturday against Ghana in their last. Over 4 games and almost 400 minutes of soccer, the United States led for only three minutes, the final ticks of the clock against Algeria, in its only win.<\/p>\n
The Americans had to come from behind in three of their four games, often playing better when their fortunes appeared most dire.<\/p>\n
Early deficits against England and Slovenia forced Coach Bob Bradley\u2019s team to play with more urgency, pressing forward in the attack rather than waiting for opportunities to counterattack. Throughout the tournament, Bradley encouraged his players to draw strength from what he called the \u201cdifficult moments\u201d\u009d they encountered in the past. But like adrenaline junkies, they seemed unable to perform without them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe warning signs were there,\u201d\u009d Landon Donovan said. \u201cGetting scored on early, and it came back to bite us.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n