A lack of goals can always be made up for with high drama and it did as Group C, which was quickly becoming the group of death, saw its two favourites go through with Landon Donovan striking home a dramatic late winner for the USA.
Highlighting he truly possesses superstar qualities for his national side, he was in the right place at the right time to strike home after Clint Dempsey had been denied.
It was stoppage time. Slovenia, which had gone down 1-0 to England, was in the Round of 16 when it had walked off the pitch.
It would have been utter heartbreak in the Slovenian dressing room learning of the news.
There were nervous moments for England too.
Striker Jermaine Defoe opened the scoring and the English should have had the game wrapped up much earlier than the final whistle.
Plenty of chances went wasted.
Wasted chances were the theme of the day in the other Group C game.
It wasn’t only the US not finding the net, but Algeria as well.
In the last quarter of an hour, it was all the USA as Algerian shot stopper Rais M’Bolhi had the game of his life in goals.
There were 39 shots between the two sides, but the U.S had eight on target in comparison to three.
Donovan’s winner was deserved for a side that cruelly had another goal disallowed, this time Dempsey for offside.
A game after Maurice Edu was also controversially denied by a refereeing decision against Slovenia.
But the winner from Donovan not only gave the US qualification, it sent it to the top of Group C.
It means England could well face Germany in the Round of 16.
Donovan brought the much-needed drama and spark to the World Cup as tension and nerves continued to build.
It’s exciting times ahead.
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