US hit by disappointing 1-0 loss to Morocco in World Cup warm-up

Hicham Mahdoufi (R) of Morocco blocks in front of Pablo Mastgoreni (L) of the US during US vs Morocco in the Friendly Games series in Nashville, Tennessee. Morocco won 1-0.

Reserve Mohamed Madihi scored on a counter-attack in the 90th minute to give Morocco a 1-0 victory over a World Cup-bound US squad here in a disappointing warm-up for the Americans.

In the first match since coach Bruce Arena announced the US roster for next month's global football showdown in Germany, the hosts pressed for a goal in the closing moments only to suffer a costly backline breakdown.

US star Landon Donovan was denied on a free kick in the final seconds of regulation time and the ball was cleared downfield on a long kick.

Morocco's Bouchaib El Moubarki, who entered in the 72nd minute, won the ball from US defender Steve Cherundolo and passed the ball to the left side of the field for onrushing attacker Madihi, who had entered in the 61st minute.

"I took a bad touch, and they took advantage of it," Cherundolo said. "Mistakes are a big part of this game."

Madihi was 1-on-1 with helpless US goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who went low only to see Madihi right-foot the ball over him and into the yawning empty goal beyond.

Bobby Convey took a threatening free kick in the final seconds for the US squad, bending the ball just wide of the right post in vain.

Even more costly than the defeat could be a right hamstring injury suffered by US veteran Claudio Reyna. The US captain exited in the 13th minute in favor of Pablo Mastroeni and will undergo an MRi exam on Wednesday.

"I stretched out for a ball and it just tightened up on me. As a precaution, I came out," Reyna said. "I'm optimistically thinking that it's something minor."

The Americans outshot Morocco 11-5 but managed to put only four on goal, twice as many as the visitors, who claimed their first triumph over the Americans after losses in 1992 and 1999.

The US team is now winless in its past three matches, having lost 4-1 at Germany in March and drawn 1-1 last month with Jamaica at Cary, North Carolina, where the Americans gathered and trained the past two weeks.

A US World Cup tuneup tour continues Friday against Venezuela at Cleveland, Ohio, and concludes Sunday against Latvia at East Hartford, Connecticut.

The Americans depart June 1 for Hamburg, their home base during the tournament. The US squad drew into difficult Group E, joined by Italy, Ghana and the Czech Republic. The Americans open Cup play June 12 against the Czechs.

"Our objective is to look ahead to June 12. We're looking at the big picture and we have to do everything we can to be ready June 12," Arena said.

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