Aug. 7, 2008

TIANJIN, China – Former South Carolina goalkeeper Brad Guzan collected two saves to lead the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team to a 1-0 shutout victory against Japan before 37,177 fans at the Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium on Thursday in its Beijing opener. Stuart Holden fired home the game’s only goal in the 47th minute to hand the U.S. three points and the top spot in Group B following the 0-0 draw between Netherlands and Nigeria.

Both sides spent the first 15 minutes settling into the atmosphere in Tianjin, where the temperature reached 92 degrees at kickoff. The match was tightly contested through the midfield, with both teams looking to exploit room on the flanks.

The U.S. took the lead for good in the 47th minute on a play started by Marvell Wynne. The right back outpaced his defender down the right flank and whipped a low cross into the box. Japan captain Hiroki Mizumoto attempted a clearance, but his effort fell straight into the path of Holden. The midfielder stepped into a hard drive that snuck under the arms of Japan’s goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa, delivering the U.S. the decisive 1-0 lead.

The U.S. will next face the Netherlands on Aug. 10 with a 7:45 a.m. ET kickoff. The match will be shown live on the USA Network and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel.

For complete recap and release, please visit the official website of U.S. Soccer at www.ussoccer.com.