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 MARACAIBO, Venezuela (AP) - Missing most of its top players, the United States got spanked in its Copa America opener. Hernan Crespo scored twice, Pablo Aimar and Carlos Tevez added late goals and Argentina routed a youthful United States team 4-1 Thursday night in South America's championship.
Eddie Johnson put the U.S. ahead with a penalty kick in the ninth minute, but Crespo scored in the 11th and 64th minutes for fifth-ranked Argentina, which increasingly outplayed the Americans as the game progressed. Aimar connected in the 78th minute and Tevez scored in the 85th, just after entering the game.
The loss was the first for the United States since a 2-1 defeat to Ghana on June 22 last year in Germany, which eliminated the Americans from the World Cup. They had been 10-0-1 under Bob Bradley, who coached his first road game since replacing Bruce Arena as coach late last year.
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