Published 23.05.2014 02:33 GMT+3 | Author Andy Potts

The Czechs took maximum advantage of a major penalty on U.S. captain Justin Abdelkader to move on to a semi-final against either Canada or Finland.

A feisty second period at Chizhovka Arena swung this game firmly in the Czechs' favour with clinical special teams and two big refereeing calls giving both sets of fans plenty to discuss. But the one unarguable fact was that the Czechs took full advantage of their chances, enabling them to grab a 4-3 win and end the hopes of a youthful American team in the last eight.

But there was still a breathless finish to the game as Tyler Johnson scored twice in 13 seconds as the 59th minute melted into the 60th, setting up 57 nerve-jangling seconds for the Czechs to hold on to a suddenly slender 4-3 advantage.

That left Johnson both proud and frustrated. "I think we did as well as we could have done in the last minute there, getting those two goals," he said. "We had some chances and we had to bury one. I think that shows a lot of character, but I wish it had come a little sooner.

"In the end, it was a good game. Those five or seven minutes, whatever it was, when we were in penalty trouble and they got those quick goals, that’s what really killed us in the end."

The Americans kept the puck in the Czech zone for the final minute and peppered Alexander Salak's net with shots, but ran out of time as a diagonal drive from Craig Smith rebounded towards Johnson as he loitered with intent around the slot.

Defeated USA coach Peter Laviolette was proud of his team's effort, despite the defeat.

"At times in life you have a choice of two roads, and in adversity they chose the right one today," he said. "We found ourselves in trouble but we kept fighting and pushing the game in the third and never gave up.