BLOEMFONTEIN, June 24 (Reuters) - The United States' 2-0 victory
over European champions Spain in the Confederations Cup semi-finals
on Wednesday earned a place on the list of great international
upsets.
"We all know about the U.S. beating England back in the World
Cup in 1950 but this result, in the semi-finals of a major FIFA
competition watched by millions around the world, has to rank right
up there among the greatest upsets of all time," U.S. goalkeeper
Tim Howard told reporters.
"On Sunday we thought we were going home, now we are heading
into the final. No-one gave us a chance on Sunday, no-one thought
we could turn it around, but you have to believe."
FIFA's own website (www.fifa.com) posed the question: "Is this
the greatest upset ever in a FIFA competition?"
It left the answer open, but the result ranks alongside North
Korea's 1-0 win over Italy in the 1966 World Cup finals, Cameroon's
1-0 win over then world champions Argentina in the opening match of
the 1990 World Cup and Senegal's 1-0 victory over then world
champions France in the 2002 World Cup finals.
Denmark's astonishing success in the 1992 European championship,
when they won the tournament in Sweden a few weeks after
reassembling from their holidays and being given a place in the
finals when Yugoslavia were disqualified, also takes its place as
does Greece's win in Euro 2004 when they started the tournament as
rank outsiders.
Two successive World Cup finals also produced huge shocks. In
1950 Brazil were odds-on favourites to beat Uruguay in Rio de
Janeiro to become world champions for the first time but lost
2-1.
Four years later Hungary's "mighty Magyars", who had not lost
for more than four years, met West Germany in the final, a few
weeks after beating them 8-3 in the group stage. Hungary, one of
the greatest sides ever assembled in world football, led 2-0 early
in the game but ended up being beaten 3-2.
It is not the first time Spain have been the victims of an
upset: they surprisingly lost 3-2 to Nigeria in the 1998 World Cup
finals in Nantes after Nigeria scored two late goals.
This upset surpasses that though as Spain are currently number
one in FIFA's world rankings, had been unbeaten for nearly three
years and 35 matches and had won their previous 15 games.
"It might not be the last upset here either," said Howard. "If
we can beat the world-ranked number one side, what can we do
against Brazil or South Africa ?"
Brazil play the hosts on Thursday to decide who will meet the
U.S. in Sunday's final.
