U.S. Is in Deep Freeze After Losing to Iceland

The gang that can’t shoot straight was off target again Sunday.

Claudio Reyna fired a shot from point-blank range high over the crossbar. Jeff Agoos hit a drive that flew just wide of the right post. Hugo Perez watched his attempt deflect off the goalkeeper and over the bar. Cobi Jones had no better luck with his shot.

The net result was that Iceland, hardly a soccer power, scored a 2-1 victory over the United States before 3,017 at Southwestern College in Chula Vista.

The match proved one thing: Iceland is closer to being ready for its fall qualifying campaign for the 1996 European Championship than the United States is to being ready for the World Cup that kicks off in less than two months.

And the excuse that the Americans did not have their foreign-based stars does not wash, either.

“We were without five or six of our best players,” said Iceland Coach Asgeir Eliasson, who was diplomatic nonetheless. “They (the U.S. team) did not have their full squad. They’ve got good technique. I’m sure in their World Cup group they can be a surprise.”

Not based on Sunday’s performance.

In a match in which Iceland took an early lead when striker Helgi Sigurdsson scored on a breakaway in the 20th minute, the U.S. team stumbled about in search of direction.

Matters improved after a tedious first half when Coach Bora Milutinovic made a couple of key substitutions. Suddenly, the U.S. team seemed to click a little better and, two minutes into the second half, it tied the score.

Frank Klopas, who until then had been enduring an uncomfortable time as the lone striker, latched onto a pass inside the Iceland penalty area, turned and fired a low shot that snuck into the net just inside the right post.

But Iceland then caught the U.S. defense napping in the 86th minute. Forward Olaf Pordarson’s fierce shot struck U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel in the chest and rebounded over his head and rolled into the net for a 2-1 lead.