Soccer: Slovakia beats U.S. 1-0 in World Cup warmup
Associated Press
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Marek Hamsik converted a penalty kick in the 26th minute, and Slovakia defeated the United States 1-0 Saturday in a World Cup warmup.
Slovakia, preparing for its first World Cup appearance as an independent nation, was awarded the penalty kick by Austrian referee Stefan Messner after American defender Jonathan Bornstein pushed down Vladimir Weiss in the penalty area. Hamsik sent a low shot to the right corner, with goalkeeper Brad Guzan diving in the opposite direction.
The Americans, who have qualified for their sixth straight World Cup, close their 2009 schedule on Wednesday night at Denmark.