Cote d'Ivoire Ousted in 5 Goal Thriller

World Cup participants clashed in Angola this afternoon, as Cote d'Ivoire and Algeria squared off in the last Africa Cup of Nations match played in Cabinda. The quarterfinal matchup was the second of the day, with Ghana knocking off the hosts earlier in the day. It was a match full of drama, and one that USMNT fans should take notice of.

To say that Algeria started the Africa Cup of Nations off slowly would be a gross understatement; their 3-0 loss to Malawi has been one of the most shocking results thus far. Cote d'Ivoire, meanwhile, dismantled a talented Ghana team that is headed to the semifinals. Early on in today's match, the proceedings reflected the aforementioned performances, as Didier Drogba and company stormed out of the gates to send a shaky Algeria side back on their heels. Just four minutes in, a deflected shot from the edge of the box found the feet of a wide open Salomon Kalou, who beat Faouzi Chaouchi with a low strike to the near post from 8 yards out.

The West African side dominated play thereafter, threatening to double their lead on several occasions. They had great success attacking the Algerian defense down the wings, particularly with overlapping runs from the outside backs. With outside backs that like to get forward like Jonathan Spector, Jonathan Bornstein, and Steve Cherundolo, this could suit the USMNT nicely come June.

Despite the relentless pressure, Cote d'Ivoire were unable to find another goal, and Algeria eventually settled into the match. The Desert Foxes turned things around soon after, gaining more and more confidence after weathering the early storm. They eventually found the equalizer five minutes before half, when Karim Matmour took down a long ball beautifully before quickly firing a strike from the top of the box off of the near post and in. Cote d'Ivoire could not apply the fatal blow with a second goal early on, and Algeria only gained confidence when they were able to keep such an imbalanced game close. If the USMNT is able to take an early lead, they could very well seal the result by putting in another soon thereafter. It's no secret or real revelation, but it bears mentioning considering Algeria essentially folded earlier in the tournament when they went down 2-0 to Malawi in the first half.

In the second half, the match went back and forth, with both sides applying pressure and squandering quality opportunities. Both goalkeepers also did their part to keep the score level, with Chaouchi and Barry Copa making some nice saves. It wasn't until the 89th minute that the deadlock was broken, as Abdulkader Keita scored one of the best goals of the tournament, sending a screamer into the far upper corner from over 25 yards out. The 2-1 lead and thoughts of the semifinals from the Cote d'Ivoire players were short lived, however, as Algeria showed their mental fortitude with a quick response from the head of Madjid Bougherra. The 2-2 draw after 90 minutes was a fair result, and a pretty impressive performance by Algeria against one of the tournament favorites.

In a complete reversal of the start of the game, the Cote d'Ivoire players looked shaky and uneasy as extra time began, with the Algerians smelling blood in the water. It wasn't long before they struck either, as Hameur Bouazza found himself completely unmarked at the back post and nodded home a long, arcing cross into the side netting. In the following 27 minutes of play, Algeria failed to bury their opponents, but they managed to stave off a few last ditch efforts to secure a somewhat surprising victory.

While it might be unsettling that one of the USMNT's Group C opponents just thwarted a very talented Cote d'Ivoire team, there is a bright side. It took Algeria three matches and 20 minutes in this tournament before they finally hit their stride and turned in a strong performance. Up until that point, they looked like a very average, even weak, side. If they replicate that slow start in the group stage of the World Cup, the USMNT will be able to take advantage, and Algeria could very well even be eliminated and less motivated by the time their third match rolls around (though national pride likely would limit the impact).

Further, on a smaller scale, Algeria has struggled to control matches early on, getting outscored 3-0 in the opening 35 minutes of their Africa Cup of Nations matches to this point and looking shaky in general. A slow start from Algeria could help the USMNT keep the game close in a period during which they struggled throughout qualification, as the Yanks were outscored 8-2 in the opening 35 minutes of their Hexagonal matches.

To learn more about Algeria or to see if today's display was simply a fluke, tune in to their semifinal match on Thursday, when they take on the winner of Egypt-Cameroon.