Headline PH: US loses to Czechs 4-2 on last day before cuts

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – If a 4-2 loss to the Czech Republic in Tuesday night's World Cup warmup was tough for the United States to take, now comes an even more difficult spell: Coach Bob Bradley will cut seven players to trim his roster to FIFA's 23-man limit.

"We're all nervous," Herculez Gomez said, "anxiously awaiting Bob's decision."

DaMarcus Beasley was a sharp bundle of energy, Gomez and Maurice Edu got all-important goals, and Edson Buddle was a strong man in front, blood dripping from his lip. Defender Oguchi Onyewu looked shaky in his first game since knee surgery last October.

Evaluation time is over. Bradley will hold one-on-one meetings Wednesday morning, then take the remaining 23 players over a few miles to ESPN's campus in Bristol for the nationally televised announcement at about 1:20 p.m. Then, the team will fly to Washington for a White House meeting on Thursday morning with President Barack Obama.

"This was another chance for guys on the edge to prove they belong on that plane to go to South Africa," said midfielder Stuart Holden, the best player on the field of a U.S. lineup that lacked stars Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore. They were given the night off so Bradley could evaluate players on the bubble.

While Edu and Gomez each got their first international goals, Heath Pearce, Clarence Goodson and Steve Cherundolo struggled on defense along with Edu, who started in the midfield and moved back.

Before a crowd of 36,218 at Rentschler Field, Edu scored in the 17th minute only to have the Czechs surge ahead on goals by Tomas Sivok in the 44th minute and Jan Polak in the 58th.

Making just his third international appearance and first in three years, Gomez entered at the start of the second half and tied it in the 65th when he beat goalkeeper Petr Cech.

By RONALD BLUM,
AP Sports Writer

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US loses to Czechs 4-2 on last day before cuts

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