Buddle paces U.S. to win over Australia
Edson Buddle scored his first two international goals and Herculez Gomez added a third, leading the United States over Australia 3-1 Saturday in the Americans' last warmup for their World Cup opener against England.
Playing just his third game for the national team, Buddle scored in the fourth and 31st minutes. That offset a 19th-minute equalizer by Tim Cahill, who beat Everton teammate Tim Howard for his 20th international goal.
Gomez, like Buddle a surprise pick for the World Cup roster, entered in the 82nd minute and scored from 8 yards in injury time off a pass from Landon Donovan. It was the second international goal for Gomez, who also scored against the Czech Republic last week.
Marcus Hahnemann took over in goal for the Americans in the second half. He made a point-blank stop on Mark Bresciano in the 59th minute, and defender Steve Cherundolo stopped Scott Chipperfield's shot at the goal line in the 63rd.
The defense for the 14th-ranked U.S. was shaky against No. 20 Australia, a cause for concern going into the big June 12 World Cup game against England. Oguchi Onyewu, playing his third match since October knee surgery, didn't enter until the 61st minute, with Clarence Goodson starting in central defense with Jay DeMerit.
Jozy Altidore, who sprained his right ankle in training Wednesday, didn't play for the Americans, who paired Buddle at forward with Robbie Findley.
With injured English star David Beckham looking on, the United States beat Australia for the first time in three meetings following two shutouts: a loss in 1992 and a tie six years later.
Australia, too, is getting ready for the World Cup, opening against Germany on June 13.
Tiny Ruimsig Stadium in a west Johannesburg suburb, with a small bank of stands on two sides of the field behind a running track, had a crowd estimated at 8,000. The other two sides were open, with a sunlit vista of a field bathed by sunlight in late-autumn browns, a small pond and a several bands of rocks in the distance behind a crop of trees.
There were a few loud "U-S-A!" chants at the start, and fans constantly blew their vuvuzelas, the long plastic horns that sound like a cross between bees and the brass section of an orchestra while tuning up.
Australia had complained about the field after beating Denmark 1-0 on Tuesday, and turf kept popping up.
U.S. midfielder Clint Dempsey exchanged hugs before the game with Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, his Fulham teammate. Howard shook hands with Cahill. It was that type of "friendly," a wide-open, entertaining match with few hard tackles.
Buddle, named by his father after Pele, scored his first goal after he took the ball from Vince Grella in the Australian end. Buddle moved one step inside the penalty area and sent a 16-yard shot over the left shoulder of Schwarzer. Before last week's game against the Czech Republic, Buddle's only national team appearance was 11 minutes as a substitute seven years ago.
Findley wasted an excellent opportunity to make it 2-0 in the 15th minute when the U.S. beat an offside trap. Alone in front, Findley pushed a shot wide.
Cahill tied the score for the Socceroos in the 19th minute off a corner kick from Luke Wilkshire. Carlos Bocanegra and DeMerit let Cahill escape unmarked, and he extended a foot to score from 6 yards.
Schwarzer made an outstanding save to deny Dempsey in the 27th minute. Freed by Donovan's through ball, Dempsey broke in, but Schwarzer just got his left hand on the ball and pushed it outside the far post.
Buddle put the U.S. back ahead in the 31st minute with a header from 4 yards after Cherundolo streaked down the right side, beat his man and crossed.
Six minutes later, Dempsey and Craig Moore received yellow cards from South African referee Abdul Ebrahim, More stuck a leg into Dempsey's hip, and Dempsey responded with a push, eliciting a shove in return.
Josh Kennedy missed an open header in front in the 34th minute, and another free shot from close three minutes into the second half.
Howard and Cahill both left at the start of the second half.
The U.S. had another good chance in the 51st minute, when Donovan made a sharp pass to Buddle, who centered to Findley. His shot hit the crossbar, and Schwarzer made a quick-reaction stop on Michael Bradley's shot off the rebound. The subsequent rebound was headed in by Dempsey, but the U.S. was called for offside.
Hahnemann made the stop on Bresciano after a ball deflected to the Australian off DeMerit.
Scott Chipperfield almost tied it in the 63rd minute, but his shot ricocheted off Cherundolo at the goal line. Hahnemann then dived to parry substitute Nikita Rukavytsya in the 73rd.
Donovan had a breakaway in injury time, but put his shot wide.
At Roodepoort, South Africa
United States 2 1-3
Australia 1 0-1
First half-1, United States, Buddle, 4th minute. 2, Australia, Cahill (Wilkshire), 19th. 3, United States, Buddle (Cherundolo), 31st.
Second half-4, United States, Gomez (Donovan), 90th.
Yellow Cards-Dempsey, US, 37th; Moore, Aus, 37th; Grella, Aus, 76th.
Referee: Addul Ebrahim, South Africa. Linesmen-Luyanda Somi, Andrew Reezers (RSA), South Africa.
A-NA.
Lineups
United States-Tim Howard (Marcus Hahnemann, 46); Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson (Oguchi Onyewu, 61), Carlos Bocanegra (Jonathan Bornstein, 55); Landon Donovan, Ricardo Clark, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey (Herculez Gomez, 82); Robbie Findley, Edson Buddle (DaMarcus Beasley, 78).
Australia-Mark Schwarzer; Luke Wilkshire, Lucas Neill, Craig Moore, Scott Chipperfield; Richard Garcia, Vince Grella, Tim Cahill (Carl Valeri, 46), Jason Culina (Dario Vidosic, 61), Mark Bresciano; Josh Kennedy (Nikita Rukavytsya, 71).