RUSTENBURG, South Africa — England’s players couldn’t get off the field fast enough. The Americans lingered to savor the night.
They walked to the end of Royal Bafokeng Stadium where thousands of red-, white- and blue-clad fans were waving the Stars and Stripes and cheering their heads off.
Try convincing the U.S. team and its fans there wasn’t a winner in the 1-1 draw with mighty England.
“We’ll take more out of a draw than they will,” said U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, the man of the match. “They’re going to feel like they should have won the game.”
Facing the Three Lions in the World Cup for the first time in 60 years, the United States rallied then hung on for an instant boost in confidence that they could advance to the second round.
Clint Dempsey became only the second American to score in two World Cups, getting the tying goal in the 40th minute on a blunder by goalkeeper Robert Green. Howard made six saves, withstanding a second-half barrage by Wayne Rooney and his celebrated teammates.
“I think a lot of us came off the field satisfied with this result, but maybe a little disappointed we didn’t get more out of the game,” U.S. star Landon Donovan said.
Steven Gerrard put England ahead in the fourth minute, blowing past Ricardo Clark to beat Howard, the native of North Brunswick, N.J., from short range. Dempsey tied it when Green fumbled his 25-yard shot that skipped off the ground twice, yet another mistake in a long line by English goalkeepers.
“Mentally we’re strong enough to get over it and as a goalkeeper these things happen,” Green told Sky TV. “You prepare yourself for not letting it affect you.”
Anticipation had built for six months for the much-hyped game, the first competitive meeting between the nations since the famous 1-0 U.S. upset at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil.
“I’m sure they were excited in bars back home. I can only imagine it was pretty intense,” Howard said. “We’re a resilient side, you know. We’re a tough side and on our day we can put a good performance in.”
Howard bruised his ribs when Emile Heskey’s foot slid into him in the 29th minute. He was down for a while, grimaced several times when play resumed and had a painkiller injection at halftime.
Then he saved the Americans time and again in the second half, frustrating the very high-priced stars he faces each week when he plays for Everton.
Howard said the hit “felt like agony.” After the match, he felt sore and said he might need an MRI exam to make sure there isn’t any damage.
With each save late in the game, louder chants of “U-S-A!” erupted from Sam’s Army and American Outlaws, groups who made the long and expensive trip from home to sit among the vuvuzela-blowing fans on a cool night in the Southern Hemisphere.
England must try to regroup as it seeks its first major title since winning the World Cup at home in 1966. The U.S., trying to rebound from first-round elimination four years ago, got a boost as it heads into first-round games against Slovenia on Friday and Algeria on June 23. — AP