Final, 2-1 United States: The game is over. Team USA has beaten Germany in Cologne.
Team USA is celebrating another win in a great European party town. Wood struck late in the second period to give the Americans the reward they deserved for their vast improvement in the second half. Top-ranked Germany dominated early, but Team USA seized control in the second half and held it through the end.
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That’s all for now, and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.
Five things we learned from USA-Germany >>
90th minute +3, 2-1 United States: Khedira heads off the crossbar, as Germany comes within inches of tying the game before the final whistle.
90th minute, 2-1 United States: There will be four minutes of added time in the second half.
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88th minute, 2-1 United States: Wood scores what must be the game-winning goal.
Wood received a pass from Morris, turned Mustafi and fired a long-range shot past Zieler.
83rd minute, 1-1: Zieler denies Bradley with a kick save.
Yedlin created the chance for Bradley, running onto his pass on the right and returning it with a cut-back pass to the penalty spot.
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80th minute, 1-1: Bradley shoots a corner kick straight on goal, but Zieler punches it away.
Bradley scored directly off a corner kick against Panama in February. Why not try again?
79th minute, 1-1: Rudiger shoots over the bar from 25 yards out.
75th minute, 1-1: Morris shoots inches wide with an outside-of-the-foot shot from 20 yards out.
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73rd minute, 1-1: Team USA counters with three substitutions. Wood replaces Zardes up front. Morris replaces Johannson as the other striker. Morales comes on for Diskerud in a midfield switch.
73rd minute, 1-1: Germany makes two substitutions. Gotze and Hermann exit. Bellarabi and Kruse enter.
70th minute, 1-1: The referee cautions Yedlin for his late, heavy tackle on Ozil.
66th minute, 1-1: Khedira rises to head Hermann’s cross, but he’s a couple of inches short, and the ball glances out of danger.
65th minute, 1-1: Chandler’s cross falls to Johansson inside Germany’s penalty area, but the U.S. forward whiffs on the shot, and Germany clears the danger.
62nd minute, 1-1: Team USA has played much better in the second half than it did in the first. The visitors have stitched together long passing sequences, making their German hosts chase the game.
60th minute, 1-1: Germany makes another substitution. Kramer enters in central midfield. Gundogan exits.
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55th minute, 1-1: Gotze floats a cross to Podolski, whose tame header rolls to Guzan.
49th minute, 1-1: Zardes might have had a great look on goal after receiving a pass from Diskerud, but Rudy makes a last-ditch tackle to prevent the U.S. forward from shooting.
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46th minute, 1-1: The second half is underway.
Team USA made three substitutions during the break. Evans replaces Johnson on the back line. Beckerman comes on for Williams at the base of the midfield. Yedlin replaces Agudelo in a change that will alter Team USA’s tactical set-up.
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Germany made two substitions. Podolski replaces Schurrle. Khedira enters in place of Schweinsteiger.
Halftime, 1-1: That’s the end of the first half. It’s tied in Cologne.
Germany firmly controlled the first-half proceedings, but Team USA punished the host for its let-up just before halftime. Gotze rewarded Germany’s dominance early on, scoring just 12 minutes into the game. Germany had the better chances to score throughout the half, but Team USA denied them at each turn while its own threat level crept up. Then Bradley found Diskerud, who finished the Americans’ most promising attack with aplomb.
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44th minute, 1-1: Hermann volleys his shot wide of the near post from a tight angle.
43rd minute, 1-1: Zardes shanks his shot high and wide, as Team USA again threatens on the counter-attack.
41st minute, 1-1: Diskerud scores an improbable equalizer.
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Bradley played a fine cross-field pass to the streaking Diskerud, who karate-kicked a shot past Zieler.
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Diskerud’s goal came on the end of Team USA’s best passing sequence.
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37th minute, 1-0 Germany: Team USA carries play into Germany’s half and might have threatened if Bradley could have reached Johnson’s cross.
35th minute, 1-0 Germany: It’s all Germany, as the half heads toward its conclusion.
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34th minute, 1-0 Germany: Schurrle tries to run onto a through ball, but he can’t reach it as Chandler holds him back, before the ball rolls to Guzan.
33rd minute, 1-0 Germany: Gotze crosses to Schurrle, who shoots on goal. But Guzan denies him with a fine save.
31st minute, 1-0 Germany: Gotze is in alone and shoots, but Guzan stops it with his trailing leg. Gotze should have scored.
28th minute, 1-0 Germany:Â Johannsson hits a speculative effort, which sails over the crossbar.
26th minute, 1-0 Germany: The United States has been decidedly second best in terms of possession, territory and scoreline so far. It’s no surprise, but the game still can turn on one moment of fortune.
22nd minute, 1-0 Germany: The referee cautions Williams for a heavy challenge on Gundogan.
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19th minute, 1-0 Germany: Schurrle shoots wide from a promising position on the left.
12th minute, 1-0 Germany: Gotze puts Germany in front by slotting his shot past Guzan.
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Dangerous winger Hermann created the opening by cutting dribbling inside from the right. He passed to Gotze, who took a first-time shot with accuracy and authority.
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10th minute, 0-0: Team USA has its first action in Germany’s half. Johansson passes into the penalty area to Bradley, whose deflected shot falls to Diskerud. The Team USA midfield spins and shoots slightly over the Germany goal.
Sixth minute, 0-0: Germany launches a fierce counter-attack and creates the first real chance. Gotze lays a pass to Ozil, who shoots on goal, but the well-positioned Guzan saves it.
Fifth minute, 0-0: Team USA fails to clear a routine ball inside the penalty area. It bounces to Schurrle, but his meek effort rolls straight to Guzan.
Fourth minute, 0-0: Germany is dominating possession and territory early on, but Team USA has absorbed the early pressure well.
First minute, 0-0: USA-Germany is underway at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne.
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Pregame: New England Revolution star Agudelo returns to the national-team starting lineup for the first time in almost four years.
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2:30 p.m.: Here are the lineups:
United States
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Substitutes
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Germany
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Noon ET: The United States men’s national soccer team is set to face both an old friend and foe wrapped into one opponent.
Team USA takes on Germany on Wednesday at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne in the latest test of its mettle. The high-profile exhibition game pits the reigning world champion against a team that is trying to raise its level while it battles for respect at home and abroad.
Standing in the middle of it all is Team USA head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who helped fuel Germany’s soccer revolution, which culminated in last summer’s triumph under his opposite number, Joachim Low.
Klinsmann likely will field a number of players, who, like him, are dual-citizens of Germany and the United States. Danny Williams, John Brooks, Fabian Johnson and Timmy Chandler are among the players for whom this will be no ordinary game. Alfredo Morales and Bobby Wood don’t have German roots but play for German clubs.
Klinsmann’s group is building toward the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which kicks off next month. USA-Germany offers players their last chance to impress Klinsmann before he names his roster for the tournament.
Team USA is buzzing following its comeback win over the Netherlands on Friday in Amsterdam. The Americans will test themselves against another top team, albeit a weakened one.
Germany prevailed in the teams’ last meeting — a group-stage game at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The stakes are lower this time, but the players still have something to prove.
USA-Germany kicks off at 2:45 p.m. Join us right here for all the action from the RheinEnergieSTADION.
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Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@MLS
