Germany's Torsten Frings, left, and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn scramble for the ball after a shot by USA's Gregg Berhalter hit Frings on the left hand. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        ULSAN, South Korea — Less than an inch. That's how close the United States was from tying Friday's World Cup quarterfinal against Germany.

        Claudio Reyna took a corner kick in the 49th minute and Gregg Berhalter sent a 6-yard shot toward the net. German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn dived to his right, and the ball bounced off the goalie and started to cross the line near the far post.

        But the ball hit the left arm of German defender Torsten Frings, appearing on replays never to fully cross the line. It bounced back, Kahn pounced on it and the chance was over.

        Scottish referee Hugh Dallas, despite arguments from the Americans, declined to award a penalty kick.

        “I don't want to be a sore loser, but that was a clear hand ball and the referee should have given him a red card,” Berhalter said.

        Reyna, the U.S. captain, recalled that in Monday's 2-0, second-round victory over Mexico, the referee failed to call a hand ball on John O'Brien when he punched it out of the penalty area.

        “Yeah, those are the breaks,” Reyna said. “But we're not going to cry like the Mexicans did. That's the game of soccer. We had other chances.”

        The key is whether Frings moved his arm to stop the ball or whether the arm was at his side. Replays weren't conclusive, but it looked more likely that he didn't move his arm.

        “If the ball strikes the defender accidentally, no offense is committed,” soccer rules state.

        “If it's hand to ball, it's a penalty. If it's ball to hand, it's not a penalty,” U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel said. “It's a 50-50 call.”

        The play was a blur to Kahn, regarded by many as the best goalkeeper in the world.

        “I didn't see anything,” he said. “I just suddenly saw the ball underneath me and two U.S. players ran into me.”

        U.S. coach Bruce Arena didn't complain about the non-call after the game.

        “We were denied a goal by the chances we missed,” he said.

        The play brought back memories of another close call for the United States, when Peter Vermes' shot bounced through the legs of Walter Zenga during the 1990 World Cup, but was slowed down by the goalkeeper's thigh. Defender Riccardo Ferri cleared the ball off the goal line and Italy won 1-0.

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