Aussies make a gift of it as U.S. win final warmup

By Gordon Bell

Verbeek said the game offered some positives for his team but was concerned the Socceroos gave the ball away too much.

"The organization was not good, the first goal was a present ... I think we need to keep the ball better as a team," he told reporters after the match.

U.S. coach Bob Bradley said the friendly was a "good tune-up" but added his main concern had been to get through the game without any major injuries.

American captain Carlos Bocanegra, struggling with a hernia, played for 55 minutes but Australia's injury concern Harry Kewell (groin) remained a spectator throughout.

Striker Edson Buddle opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a well placed drive past Australian Mark Schwarzer's outstretched left arm and the U.S. looked the stronger team for most of the first half.

Tim Cahill leveled the scores on 19 minutes against the run of play, and Schwarzer kept matters even with a good save from Fulham team mate Clint Dempsey after a slick passing move by the U.S. from inside their own half.

Australia, who arrived first in South Africa for the June 11-July 11 tournament to better acclimatize to Johannesburg's high altitude climate, created few chances to start with but looked more dangerous in the second half.

The U.S. play England in their World Cup opener on June 12 and then face Slovenia and Algeria.

Australia play Ghana on June 19 and Serbia on June 23.

(Reporting Gordon Bell, editing by Jon Bramley)