NUREMBERG, Germany — Brian Ching tried to remain upbeat after a 2-1 loss to Ghana ended a frustrating World Cup for the United States.

"It was a little disappointing on our end, but that's the way the World Cup goes," said Ching, the first player from Hawai'i to make the U.S. World Cup team. "Some teams are disappointed and others do well.

"I was a little disappointed I didn't play in the tournament, but it was a good experience and gives me something to shoot for next time."

Ching didn't play in any of the games, but he has a World Cup reminder: a cut near his right eye, which is still slightly bloody.

That came after bumping heads with defender Oguchi Onyewu during practice before the first game. But Ching said the injury didn't affect his playing time.

"I knew my role in this tournament would be to get in if we were up a goal and try to hold the lead," Ching said. "Be used as a guy to hold the ball and kill the clock or if Brian McBride went down, I thought I'd have a good chance as well."

With the score tied 1-1 in injury time in the first half yesterday, Onyewu was called for a foul in the box and Stephen Appiah buried what turned out to be the game winner.

"To have that call in the 47th minute after our team worked so hard to get back into the game was difficult," coach Bruce Arena said. "We played a very good game and certainly are at fault in the second half for not doing better with some of our attacking play to get that second goal."

That's where Ching may have been able to lend a hand. However, unlike in the first two games, he wasn't even asked to warm up.

But Ching, who will rejoin Houston of the Major League Soccer tomorrow, will return with some happy memories.

"It was fantastic," he said. "Everything was first-rate. I hope we didn't offend too many people with our entourage when we went on the bus with 20 police cars and 25 cops stopping all the traffic. It was a great time. I had a wonderful experience."