The World's Game

The Confederation's Cup is like the Golden Globes. A win will get you noticed, but everyone's true goal is the Oscars. That's why, despite the monumental upset, the US's victory over Spain, is not quite as important as any (modern-era) World Cup victory. I would, however, rank the win ahead of the victory over Brazil in 1999. While that game also shocked the world, it had three factors going against it:

1. It was in the Gold Cup - a minor tournament that nobody cares about
2. Brazil did not bring their "A" team
3. The game was not televised on an English-language channel

The Confed Cup is a bigger deal than the Gold Cup, and Spain brought all their stars. Some folks on espn.com posted that Spain didn't take the US seriously. I doubt that. In the first few seconds, Spain had the ball in the US's penalty area, forcing the attack. So, this was a great win, that I would rank #4 on the all-time list:

1. US 3 Portugal 2 - While this game was only in the 1st round of the World Cup '02, it served as the catalyst for the improbable run to the quarters. Portugal featured world class talent with Rui Costa and Luis Figo, and the US was without Claudio Reyna and Clint Mathis. What cements this as #1 is that this game wasn't the usual let's-get-one-goal-then-bunker. The US put 3 in the net (4, including Agoos's own goal) and downright took it to the Portuguese.
2. US 2 Colombia 1 - Colombia was the brash new kid on the block. They had Asprilla and flamboyant Carlos Valderrama. No less than Pele picked them to win the whole thing. Prior to this win, the US was a non-entity on the world stage. This game marked the beginning of the new era of US soccer.
3. US 2 Mexico 0 - Many would argue that this game should be #1 on the list. It's the US's only win in the knock-out stage of the World Cup. I list it at #3 because the opponent was Mexico - a team the US faced (and beat) regularly. Yes, it was a dominant and impressive win, but not quite as impactful as the games above.

I should also mention that none of the prior games would even be possible without the one historic moment - Paul Caligiuri's goal against Trinidad. If the win over Colombia marked the US's arrival onto the world stage, Caligiuri's goal was the knock on the door. If he hadn't scored, the US would not have qualified for the World Cup in '90 nor been awarded the host country in '94.

In 1989, a great US soccer moment is a goal against Trinidad in a Qualifier. 20 years later, it's a win over the world's #1 team - a team that hadn't allowed a goal 451 minutes and was unbeaten in 35 matches. That's significant progress. After the game, ESPN put up a poll: How much do you care about the US beating Spain in the Confederation's Cup? 58,000 votes later, 82% care a lot. In years past, that poll would've been overrun by soccer-haters, but the world's game has slowly worked its way into the American sports landscape. Thanks to ESPN, average folks know about the American's rivalry with Mexico and are familiar with marquee internationals like Christian Ronaldo, Kaka, and, of course, Beckham. And the World Cup? It's huge. No longer a cult event in the States; it's front-page news. So, the game has arrived. Will the US team follow?

A few days ago, I wondered if the US would win the World Cup in my lifetime. It's still unlikely. The massive footballing nation of England has won just once. But the win over Spain allows for a glimmer of hope.

The Game

Surprisingly, it was a much more enjoyable game when the score was 0-0. End-to-end action with both teams creating genuine chances. The US did not begin the game in a defensive shell, as Bob opted for a 2-striker formation - only one change from the Egypt game. Jon Bornstein was out, and Carlos Bocanegra was in at left fullback.

Spain demonstrated their quality from the onset with pinpoint passing. They had no difficulty advancing the ball into the US's final third. They did have difficulty penetrating the box, though. The US defense did well man-marking and did not allow any open space near Tim Howard. Spain dominated early possession, but the US was dangerous on the counter-attack. Around the 10th minute, Altidore and Dempsey worked the ball into Spain's zone. Dempsey sent a low cross into the box, and Charlie Davies unleashed a wicked bicycle kick, sending the ball just wide. Later, Spanish striker Torres had two glorious chances. On the first, he beat the US defense and was one-on-one with Howard, but the play was ruled offsides (replays showed the call was questionable). Then, after Spain worked over Spector on the right flank, they sent a sharp cross to the far post that met Torres who volleyed the ball off-target. It was good man-marking by Bocanegra who disrupted Torres just enough.

Minutes later, Donovan fed Dempsey about 22 yards out, and Dempsey unleashed a strong shot that went wide left of net. Then the US finally broke through in the 27th minute. It wasn't the prettiest play. Dempsey and Davies worked a nice give-and-go to win some space in Spanish territory. Dempsey then passed to Altidore, marked tightly about 25 yards from goal. Dempsey's pass deflected off a Spanish player but bounced toward Altidore, who shielded the ball like he was Bill Laimbeer boxing out Karl Malone. Altidore's defender (a teammate at Villareal) fell down, and Jozie quickly shot the ball off the bounce. The goalie got his fingertips on it, but it wasn't enough. The ball nestled in the back of the net, and Jozie rushed toward the sideline in celebration. Spain looked surprised but not rattled.

Not surprisingly, the next 8,000 chances went to Spain. Torres burst down the left flank into the box (perhaps Bocanegra's biggest blunder of the match). Torres cut back to his left foot and shot low, near post from about six yards out. Tim Howard made a fantastic kick save, and the rebound floated to about the penalty marker. A Spanish player tried to head the ball to no avail. Spain had numerous attempts inside the box but could not get an open shot. The US found ways to block or disrupt the attack, usually at the last minute. Harkes called it "emergency defending."

The US did have one more excellent opportunity before the half. Off a restart, Donovan sent a perfect cross toward goal. Bocanegra was in position to head the ball into the net, but Dempsey actually beat him to it - heading the ball wide.

The 2nd half was all bunker-ville. Spain completely dominated. The US gave up tons of space in the middle and allowed Spain to work the wings. For the most part, Spain could still not get a clear shot on net. Perhaps ceding the US's aerial advantage, Spain rarely sent in long crosses. They almost exclusively tried to dribble into the box. Spain's best chance came around minute 50 when striker David Villa unleashed a rocket left foot shot on net, but Howard blocked it wide. Seconds later, Bocanegra got sucked into the middle of the field, leaving the left side wide open. Spain worked the ball to the open space and earned Sergio Ramos a great opportunity from a sharp angle. Howard, positioned perfectly, deflected it wide. The Spanish players were frustrated, but not giving up. And the US players looked tired... it seemed only a matter of time before Spain would at least equalize.

Around the 60th minute, the game slowed down. The US actually managed to string some passes together and force Spain to play defense. Bob Bradley took out Charlie Davies in the 67th minute. Benny Feilhaber went in, moving Dempsey up to Davies' forward spot. Feilhaber's possession skills would pay immediate dividends. Near midfield, Dempsey and Bradley combined to force a turnover, and Bradley passed across the field to Feilhaber. Feilhaber dribbled toward goal, made a nifty move to beat a defender and fed Donovan inside the box. Donovan's first touch - not great - took him away from net. He spotted Dempsey far post and sent a shot/pass toward him. Miraculously, the ball bounced off two defenders and settled neatly near Dempsey, who whirled around and slotted it home. Extremely lucky goal, but kudos to the tireless Dempsey and Donovan who somehow found the energy to attack after logging so many minutes in this tournament.

To say the 2nd goal was against the run of play would be an enormous understatement. Spain did continue to attack, but I think that 2nd goal crushed their spirit. A Spanish player did manage a dangerous shot from 10 yards out, but Ricardo Clark dove in at the last minute to block it out of bounds. That was the story of the game for Spain... and the US. Just incredible timely defense.

Final score: 2-0 USA. The US men's national soccer team shocked the world. If interested, the highlights are here.

Notable grades:

Donovan: A. He didn't score a goal, but he outplayed perhaps the entire Spanish midfield. He's played every minute of this tournament (something like 4 games in 10 days) and still had energy to burn. Somebody posted on bigsoccer.com that we've finally figured out Donovan's best position - "endline to endline defensive striker." That's what he was. Although he wasn't wearing the captain's armband, he was the leader on the field and played his best US game since '02.

Onyewu: A. Dominant. Perfectly positioned.

Howard: A+. A classic performance, reminiscent of Keller vs. Brazil in '99.

Bradley: B. Earned a red card late in the match for a studs-up tackle. Like most of the other reds earned during this tournament, it would be a yellow card in Concacaf. Nevertheless, the US players need to adapt. Whether it was fatigue, bad luck, or a bad call, Bradley will miss the final. Otherwide, he was solid.

Coach Bradley: A+. Coaching is all about results, and he got it. Even though I hated his insertion of Conor Casey late in the match, his gameplan worked perfectly. The players were motivated and somehow fit enough to beat Spain on 2-days rest.