USA-Czech Republic Live: Team USA Wins First Game After 2014 World Cup

John Brooks Final, 1-0 United States: It’s over. Team USA defeats the Czech Republic in Prague.

It wasn’t the prettiest game we’ve ever seen, but the United States started its new cycle on a high note with a hard-fought win. Bedoya’s goal was the game-winner, and Rimando was the hero, as the U.S. was under siege for much of the second half.

The United States played surprisingly well in the first half, controlling play for long stretches and limiting the Czech Republic’s scoring chances to a scant few.

The second half was another story. Klinsmann made all six substitutions, and the level of his team’s performance dipped sharply, as players who were young, inexperienced or short of confidence and form took center stage, and the Czech Republic upped the tempo and quality of its play.

Rimando, Gyau and Diskerud were standout performers. It’s likely that we’ll see a lot more of them going forward.

Klinsmann targets semifinal in World Cup 2018. Get real. >>

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.

90th minute, 1-0 United States: Morales is cautioned for a foul and/or dissent.

There will be three minutes of added time in the second half.

89th minute, 1-0 United States: Brooks doesn’t clear the all with his header, and it falls to Pudil, who might have scored had Rimando not raced off his line, cut down the angle and disrupted the shot.

85th minute, 1-0 United States: Rimando makes another great save, turning away Reznik’s shot. The rebound came back to the Czech defender, but he shot over the crossbar.

[tweet https://twitter.com/pkedit/status/507257041933463552 align=’center’%5D

84th minute, 1-0 United States: The Americans are holding on, as the game enters its final minutes.

The authority and composure with which the U.S. passed the ball in the first half has given way to a nervous scramble. The aggressive pressing in the midfield also is a distant memory.

Meanwhile, the Czechs have shown greater invention in their approach play and are unlucky not to have tied the game at this point.

79th minute, 1-0 United States: The Czech Republic is putting the U.S. under pressure, as the game progresses.

The Americans are struggling to maintain possession, and the Czechs are launching waves of counter-attacks.

74th minute, 1-0 United States: As seems to be the case during all exhibitions, the game has become disjointed, as the substitutes try to adjust to the pace of the game.

69th minute, 1-0 United States: Hyndman, 18, replaces Bedoya. The teenage midfielder is making his debut for the U.S. senior men’s national team.

The United States has used all of its substitutions.

65th minute, 1-0 United States: There’s confusion in the U.S. defense, and the Czech Republic nearly makes the visitors pay.

Limbersky’s attempted cross pinged around the U.S. goal-mouth, and Rimando was forced to make another save from point-blank range on Rosicky’s volley.

63rd minute, 1-0 United States: Klinsmann makes more changes.

[tweet https://twitter.com/ussoccer/status/507251234491752448 align=’center’]

Garza replaces Chandler. Corona exits with Shea taking his place. Morales comes on for Diskerud.

60th minute, 1-0 United States: Rimando makes a fine kick save, denying Krejci’s attempt at scoring the game-tying goal.

[tweet https://twitter.com/KICKTV/status/507251516995297280 align=’center’%5D

Rosicky created the chance with a chipped pass over the top of the defense into the penalty area.

56th minute, 1-0 United States: Green cuts inside and shoots from distance, but the shot goes well wide of Cech’s goal. Green wants a corner kick, saying it deflected off of a defender, but the referee thinks otherwise.

50th minute, 1-0 United States: The second half has opened in the same manner in which the first closed.

The United States is showing the ability to pass the ball through the Czech lines up the field but fail to unlock the defense in the final third.

The Czech Republic made three changes to its personnel at halftime — Kaderabek, Jiracek and Pilar exited — but is still slower to react to the plays than the United States.

46th minute, 1-0 United States: The second half is underway. Klinsmann made changes to his back line and at goalkeeper.

[tweet https://twitter.com/ussoccer/status/507244416583467008 align=’center’%5D

Halftime, 1-0 United States: That’s the end of the first half. Team USA leads by one.

The United States leads after 45 minutes thanks to Bedoya’s late goal. Diskerud pounced on Cech’s mistake and showed good speed and composure in dribbling and shooting on goal. Bedoya’s tap-in was a just reward for the effort of his midfield partner.

Team USA capably passed the ball, although it wasn’t particularly dangerous in the first half. It defended well enough to contain a Czech Republic team, which only increased its tempo from first gear on one or two occasions.

[tweet https://twitter.com/OptaJack/status/507243486631165952 align=’center’%5D

Gyau was particularly impressive, showing good strength and decision-making ability when the ball came his way. Gyau’s final pass or shot lacked authority, which prevented him from being the star of the show in the first half of his international debut.

[tweet https://twitter.com/SoccerInsider/status/507240316693655552 align=’center’%5D

45th minute, 1-0 United States: There will be a minimum of one minute of added time in the first half.

43rd minute, 1-0 United States: The goal has boosted Team USA’s confidence, as the Americans have pressed the Czechs more aggressively in the midfield, creating turnovers in the midfield.

39th minute, 1-0 United States: Bedoya scores, and the U.S. has the lead.

Diskerud intercepted Cech’s pass to the midfield and burst forward toward the Czech Republic goal. Diskerud then settled himself and shot, but Cech made the save.

The rebound fell to Bedoya, who fired it past the goalkeeper into the open goal.

[tweet https://twitter.com/ussoccer/status/507246986509033472 align=’center’%5D

33rd minute, 0-0: The Czech Republic comes close to scoring, having caught the United States on the counter-attack once again.

Rosicky dribbled on the left but crossed to the far post (instead of shooting). Darida slid to reach Rosicky’s pass, but was unable to redirect it into the goal from the tightest of angles.

[tweet https://twitter.com/kylejmccarthy/status/507239348212084736 align=’center’]

29th minute, 0-0: Gyau appeals for a penalty kick after his cross from inside the penalty area hits Kadlec in the arm. The referee declines the heed the Gyau’s pleas.

26th minute, 0-0: Pilar cuts inside and shoots with his left foot but he scuffs it, allowing Guzan to collect it with no problems.

21st minute, 0-0: Green tries a long-range shot, but Cech makes another easy save.

20th minute, 0-0: Diskerud is dispossessed in the midfield, and the Czechs race forward.

Krejci slipped a cross into the goal-mouth, but Brooks cleared it away. It was the most dangerous moment of the game so far.

17th minute, 0-0: Gyau dribbles inside and shoots from 25 yards out, but Cech easily saves his rolling effort. It was the first shot on goal for either team.

16th minute, 0-0: We’re still waiting for this game to come to life.

Neither the Czech Republic nor the United States has settled into a rhythm, and the game has been marked with misplaced passes, sliced clearances and a lack of scoring chances in recent minutes.

[tweet https://twitter.com/KICKTV/status/507235983310729217 align=’center’%5D

Ninth minute, 0-0: Things are even on balance of play after almost 10 minutes.

Although the Americans only had one full day of practice, they’re showing an unexpected level on cohesion and understanding in their passing. The moves have been simple ones and haven’t led to any scoring chances, but the passing has been tidy so far.

Fourth minute, 0-0: The United States has shown some spark early on. While the Americans have been decent in possession, they are showing a willingness to press high up the field in an effort to win the ball in the Czech half and launch counter-attacks from there.

First minute, 0-0: USA-Czech Republic is underway.

Pregame: Klinsmann named a young and inexperienced squad, but his starting 11 features a number of familiar faces.

The U.S. back line features three Germany-based players, Chandler, Johnson and Brooks.

The midfield has attacking quality and youthful energy, but it appears to be light in terms of bite, steel and defensive nous. It will be crucial for forwards Green and Gyau to track back quickly every time the Czech Republic wins the ball. Otherwise, the back line will be isolated and exposed.

Tim Howard won’t be playing for the United States anytime soon but he’s watching his former and future teammates begin their march toward the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

[tweet https://twitter.com/TimHowardGK/status/507224461330743296 align=’center’]

[tweet https://twitter.com/GrantWahl/status/507228771297263616 align=’center’]

1:45 p.m.: Here are the lineups:

Brad Guzan (1), goalkeeper
Timmy Chandler (21), left back
John Brooks (6), center back
Michael Orozco (4), center back
Fabian Johnson (23), right back
Mix Diskerud (10), midfielder
Joe Corona (15), midfielder
Alejandro Bedoya (11), midfielder
Julian Green (16), forward
Joe Gyau (7), forward
Jozy Altidore (17), striker

Substitutes

Nick Rimando, goalkeeper
Cody Cropper (12), goalkeeper
Greg Garza (3), defender
Alfredo Morales (2), defender
Tim Ream (5), defender
Emerson Hyndman (8), midfielder
Brek Shea (13), midfielder
Jordan Morris (9), forward
Rubio Rubin (14), forward
Bobby Wood (18), forward

[tweet https://twitter.com/ussoccer/status/507211506220425216 align=’center’%5D

Czech Republic

Petr Cech, goalkeeper
David Limbersky, left back
Michal Kadlec, center back
Vaclav Prochazka, center back
Pavel Kaderabek, right back
Vladimir Darida, midfielder
Petr Jiracek, midfielder
Tomas Rosicky, midfielder
Vaclav Pilar, midfielder
Ladislav Krejci, midfielder
Jan Vydra, striker

[tweet https://twitter.com/fotbalova_repre/status/507214016536924160 align=’center’]

11:30 a.m. ET: U.S. Soccer’s Boys of Summer are back in action.

The U.S. men’s national team plays its first post-2014 FIFA World Cup game Wednesday when it travels to Prague to face the Czech Republic.

U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann named an experimental roster for the Czech Republic game. While Klinsmann chose 10 players from the squad which competed this summer in Brazil, prospects who could make their marks in the future make up majority of the roster.

Jozy Altidore will captain the United States in Prague. A hamstring injury cruelly ended Altidore’s World Cup after just 23 minutes. The U.S. striker now has recovered and will lead his national team onto the field.

Keep an eye on the goalkeeper position. World Cup hero Tim Howard is taking a year-long sabbatical from the national team, and his backups, Brad Guzan and Nick Rimando, each will play one half against the Czech Republic, as they look to claim the No. 1 jersey.

The Czech Republic is preparing for its first UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier — on Sept. 9 against the Netherlands. The hosts will field a youthful group against the Americans, but veterans Petr Cech and Tomas Rosicky, with whom U.S. soccer fans are familiar, should feature in Wednesday’s game.

The USA-Czech Republic game kicks off at 2:15 p.m. ET. Join us right here for all the action from the Generali Arena in Prague, Czech Republic.