It is way, way too early to be up right now. As I rub my eyes and yawn hard my clock says it is 4:50am on the east coast. Gross is the only word that I can come up with to describe how I feel right now. I am going to power through though and its all for you.

My name is Graig Carbino and I write for USSoccerPlayers.com. I am going to follow the match live in the section below. If you are just waking up and haven’t seen the match feel free to peep your DVR first and then come back and tell us all what you thought of the encounter.

*Commentary and match results after the jump:

4:45am: US starting line-up is in. 18 Brad Guzan (G) 2 Marvell Wynne (D) 3 Michael Orozco (D) 15 Michael Parkhurst (D) 4 Michael Bradley (M) 6 Maurice Edu (D) 7 Stuart Holden (M) 14 Robbie Rodgers (M) 16 Sacha Kljestan (M) 11 Freddy Adu (F) 17 Brian McBride (F)

4:53am: I cant be the only one surprised at the omission of Jozy Altidore. It looks like five in the midfield for the US with McBride leading the line up front by himself.

4:58am: We’re underway and I am tired. Hopefully this thing is exciting, I am doing this all without any coffee.

5:02am: First touch of the ball for Guzan. Scrappy first few minutes as you would expect.

5:04am: Good pressure from the US forces a turnover at the back for Japan. McBride will run all day long. It’s amazing.

5:07am: I am watching this game on TV but just happened to check out the online coverage over at the NBC website. I must say that the picture on that video is incredible. If you have to watch on your computer you wont be missing much. Oh, and Ives Galarcep from SoccerByIves.net is running the commentary. Nice.

5:09am: Some nice scrappy pressure from the US in the box. It all amounts to nothing but it was the first real burst into the offensive area for the “States.”

5:12am: Bradley with a pile driver after a nice layoff from McBride. Saved by Japan.

5:15am: Marvell Wynne has turned the ball over way too much already and we are only 17 minutes in. Kljestan attempts an ambitious ball over the top that is cut off. Edu was in acres of space down the right hand side.

5:19am: Wow. Neat little set piece corner by Japan that results in a ball across the face of the goal that someone should have finished. The US wriggled off the hook on that one as they were completely at sea on that corner.

5:21am: 23 minutes in and the US has not had a ton of possession thus far. They need to try and get the ball into McBride’s feet so that he can hold it up and get the midfield involved. On another note, Maurice Edu has been rock solid at the back so far.

5:24am: The referee has been pretty consistent with the whistle. He is blowing it at everything.

5:29am: Nice point by Balboa on the TV broadcast. Orozco and Rodgers are not working very well together down the left wing. Orozco isn’t getting forward and Rodgers isn’t helping out defensively. Not a good combination.

5:31am: Freddy! Just over the cross bar after a nice little juggle at the top of the 18-yard box. That was the closest the US has come to opening the scoring.

5:34am: Hollywood Kljestan has tried a few very ambitious passes that haven’t quite come off. Easy grab by Guzan off of a Japan header.

5:37am: Japan with a ton of possession right now but not really going anywhere. Jeesh. Just as I type that they sprint down the right side and whip a cross right in across the face of goal. Another good opportunity but they do not make the US pay.

5:39am: All Japan right now as they blow a wide open header right in front of goal. Now the Japanese player was offside but it was not called by the linesman. The US is lucky right now to still be on level terms.

5:42am: Adu with a shot that is wide of the goal with a few minutes left to go in the first half.

5:45am: And there is the halftime whistle. Not a very good half for the United States. Japan had three of four really good chances right in front of goal that they failed to convert. The only really good opportunity for the US came off of Adu’s volley.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nowak remove Holden and slide Kljestan out to right side of midfield. Holden was nonexistent for almost the entire first half. Adu needs someone like Benny Feilhaber to come into the center of midfield and link the play from back to front.

Also, look for Jozy Altidore to make an early appearance in the second half if the US continues to struggle to create chances.

5:47am: Shower time while we have a quick break. I’ll be back for the start of the second half.

6:00am: And were back. Lets hope that the US can get something going this half.

6:01am: Forgot to mention this earlier but it is disgustingly humid in China this time of year. It will be interesting to see what sort of impact substitutions have today.

6:02am: Goal! Holden. Nice work by Wynne down the right wing who digs out a cross into the area. Japan doesn’t clear and the ball falls right to Holden who smashes it towards the net. It seems to go right through the Japanese goalkeeper and just squirms slowly over the line.

6:05am: Nice spell of possession for the US. Those first 5 minutes after scoring a goal can be very dangerous if you aren’t careful. Adu takes a yellow that was ill advised. He looks very frustrated today.

6:09am: Brian McBride has had a tough time getting involved today. He has drawn a few fouls but also dished out a couple as well. Rodgers slots a ball across to Bradley whose shot is blocked. Rodgers needs to start whipping those balls into the box instead of cutting them back.

6:13am: I knocked Wynne in the first half for his turnovers but one thing you cant teach is speed. Wynne has speed to burn and has done a really nice job defensively down the right side. It seems like every time he makes a mistake he is so fast that he recovers before you even know it.

6:17am: Holden draws a foul and has been much more involved this half. Beyond the goal he has worked much harder defensively and just crunched a Japanese player with a really tough tackle.

6:18am: It wouldn’t be a game if Michael Bradley didn’t draw at least a yellow card. It was soft, but he still got it.

6:19am: Cross flashed across goal again by Japan and Guzan misses it. Luckily no one from Japan was on hand to steer it in.

6:21am: Adu knocked down in the box but no call. He got a little shove from behind but probably not enough for a penalty.

6:24am: Maurice Edu has been a rock at the back all game for the US. I don’t think Parkhurst’s name has been mentioned more than twice, which is just how he likes it. Keep it steady and calm. Nothing flashy.

6:26am: Just about 20 minutes to go and I have to say that some US players are looking like their legs are going on them. The humidity has to be taking it’s toll.

6:28am: Jozy Altidore comes in for Brian McBride. Interesting substitution. Nowak must feel that Altidore can come in with some fresh legs and keep the Japanese defense honest.

6:31am: Yikes. Honda with a handful of Altidore’s shorts in the wrong spot.

6:35am: Maurice Edu with a hard challenge in the box on a Japanese player and he is lucky not to be called for a penalty kick.

6:36am: Altidore fights into the box but cant get a shot off. The ball ends up going out over the end line for a corner kick.

6:37am: Feilhaber is coming on for Holden to freshen up the midfield for the US.

6:38am: Balboa thinks Japan has done enough to earn a point today and I have to agree with him. With all the chances that they have created today the Japanese should be distraught if they do not at least scratch out a draw in these last six minutes or so.

6:40am: One more sub for the US as Szetela comes in for Rodgers.

6:43am: WOW. Maurice Edu with another foul in the box that is not called. He tugs back Toyoda and isn’t punished for it. If the US holds on for the victory in this one they better shower as fast as they possibly can and sprint out of the stadium because they just stole this thing.

6:45am: Nice tackle by Kljestan to break up a play deep down the right side. Four minutes of time added on.

6:48am: Edu has been good but he is living a privileged existence right now. He has had at least 5 fouls that weren’t called over the last 10-15 minutes of the game.

6:49am: Yikes. Guzan comes out to punch but totally misses the ball. Fortunately for him Japan cant get it on frame.  

6:50am: Guzan takes the goal kick and there goes the final whistle.

You have to say that the US was super lucky to escape this game with all three points. Japan had a TON of chances to equalize but just could not finish. I don’t remember the Japanese goalie ever having to make a tough save besides the one from Holden that he let slip through. In the end these games are about results and the US did just enough today to get the win.

Now I get to go to work for the next 9 hours after about 4 hours of sleep. Yuck.