Brad Friedel saved another penalty and the USA forced their way into the last 16 despite defeat by a rejuvenated Polish side.

Portugal's misfortunes at the hands of co-hosts South Korea - who finish top of Group D - meant the USA clung onto second spot and now face Mexico in Jeonju on June 17.

Polish coach Jerzy Engel sprung a surprise by fielding a radically changed side for their farewell from the competition.

He left Liverpool's Jerzy Dudek on the bench along with a clutch of regulars and gave half a dozen more who hadn't figured so far a last-ditch crack at the World Cup.

The States were at full strength with the side, fielding the team that has played for their previous two games.

But they were no doubt shocked to discover that they had to contend with many, many thousands of Korean fans, filling acres of the stadium with their red shirts, here to support the Poles.

The crowd didn't have long to wait to roar into life as Emmanuel Olisadebe hammered the ball into the roof of the net in the second minute.

A minute later USA were fuming when they were cruelly denied a perfectly good equaliser when Landon Donovan headed home after Maciej Zurawski got in the way of his own goalkeeper, the ball dropping into the six yard box for the American to nod home - but the Chinese referee Lu Jun saw a push.

USA's anger was compounded with a second Polish goal a minute later, Krzynowek crossing and Pawel Kryszalowicz firing home on the near post. The States suddenly realised the whole world was against them.

You would have thought Korea were playing, such was the ferocious noise as "Win, Korea" echoed around the stadium.

Some luck was going the US's way, at both ends of the country, with Joao Pinto being sent off in Incheon, and the Poles seeing Kryszalowicz have a shot superbly saved by Brad Friedel while the big goalkeeper deflected the rebound from Krzynowek onto a post.

The loss of Jeff Agoos with an ankle injury allowed Bruce Arena to throw on the more attack-minded Cobi Jones on 35 minutes, the States hammering away in search of any sort of salvation.

Friedel made another good save at the feet of Cezary Kucharski seconds after Marek Kozminski had been booked for diving in the box.

On 57 minutes the States threw on more fresh strike power, with Everton's Joe-Max Moore taking over from Brian McBride up front.

The US were still pouring forward, increasingly likely to be caught on the break, but there was no point praying for help from their other Group D match, a point was still not out of the question.

And they were eventually caught out and the game finally put beyond them on 65 minutes when substitute Marcin Zewlakow headed home a cross from Kozminski. But within seconds news of Korea's goal against 10-man Portugal reached the red masses in Daejeon, and the States were still alive in the tournament.

Friedel underlined that with his second penalty save of the tournament when he plunged to his left to hold a spot-kick from Zurawski after Tony Sanneh had tripped Kryszalowicz on 76 minutes.

The States still kept attacking and Clint Mathis hit a post before they got the goal they deserved on 83 minutes when Donovan volleyed home on the far post.