A blunder by England goalkeeper Robert Green gifted the United States an equaliser and denied England victory in their opening World Cup Group C match.
England had the perfect start when captain Steven Gerrard flicked the ball home in the fourth minute of the match at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on Saturday.
But the US levelled when keeper Green fumbled Clint Dempsey's tame low 20-yard shot over the line, leading to a 1-1 draw.
Argentina, S. Korea victories
Argentina's status as one of the World Cup favourites has been confirmed with a 1-0 win over Nigeria in Johannesburg on Saturday.
World player of the year Lionel Messi lived up to his billing, though he did not score, peppering the goal with shots and drawing a string of finger-tip saves.
However it was defender Gabriel Heinze who headed home an early corner for the goal that beat one of Africa's perennial heavyweights in the Group B match at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.
Earlier, South Korea played a fast passing game to beat Greece 2-0 in the Group B opener at Port Elizabeth, through goals from Lee Jung-soo and Park Ji-sung.
Africa is staging the World Cup for the first time, with 32 nations competing in 64 games until the final on 11 July.