USA 2 – 0 Spain – Surely not?
As the Confederations Cup comes to a close the USA just seem to get better and better. They sensationally made it to the semi-finals with a 3-0 win over Egypt and Brazil managed to beat Italy 3-0 and it was said to be the best performance ever for the USA. I can safely say that this match was leagues above that one and the football that was played made every player seem worthy of a ridiculous price tag. Unfortunately, the bee’s that are South African football fans did put a sour taste in the mouth at the final whistle but for the most part I was so gripped by the game that the constant buzzing was not a huge problem.
For once, the South African football horn was not the star of the show, whether it be for the wrong reasons or not!
The first half started well enough for the European Champions with both Torres and Xavi linking up well and the midfield working faultlessly but the USA team managed to suppress the attacking threat that the stars of the Spain team possess. In fact, the first 20 minutes made the game seem very fair with Spain showing a slight superiority but Landon Donovan and Altidore were a constant counter attacking threat to the Spaniards. Then came the moment that no one was expecting, Clint Dempsey found the young Jozy Altidore who managed to turn and shoot and yes, score with a fine finish with Iker Casillas only able to get a hand on it. The young American has been impressive so far this tournament to say the least. It was then the turn of the USA defence to prove their worth and they certainly did. Riera and Villa were constantly attacking Jonathan Spector at right back but the defence showed great passion and resilience to hold out until half time even though David Villa missed a great chance from just outside the box and Torres couldn’t seem to stay onside.
The second half was a tougher affair for the American team but the sheer athleticism shown by the likes of Donovan and Bocanegra was incredible, time and time again the American defence was tested but time and time again the USA prevailed with Howard making two good saves against Fabregas’ audacious long range efforts. However, football is all about taking your chances and Clint Dempsey certainly took his chance when he fired in his effort from six yards out after an exquisite and typically enthusiastic run from Landon Donovan who just never stopped going. It was not all good for the Americans though, with Bradley being sent off after a crunching tackle on Xavi in the latter stages of the match but by then, the team were already home and dry.
Landon Donovan played a superb role in an excellent USA win
So, what can we expect from tomorrows game? I doubt it will be as unexpected as this “peach” of a game that ended the European Champions’ run of 35 matches without a defeat.
