The US played their best football last night, and it was just good enough.
The US played their best football last night, and it was just good enough.
While they easily disposed of the Egyptians with a convincing 3-0 pasting at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Phokeng, North West, it was just what the doctor has ordered. The defeats they suffered at the feet of Italy and Brazil earlier meant they went into this game also hoping for a miracle.
Meanwhile, in a match punted as the final before the final, the Italians meekly submitted themselves to the spanking by Brazil who defeated the world champions 3-0 at Loftus Stadium in Tshwane.
Maicon's shot in the sixth minute skimmed the up-right, then Kaka also tried his luck. Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was bombarded from all ends, while his opposite number, Julio Cesar, had a holiday at the other end.
The Italians were so ripe for the taking that even captain Lucio wanted in on the action and almost uprooted the up-right in the 34th minute.
The Italians meanwhile had only been near the other end twice, when Luca Toni and then Mauro Camoranesi found a gap and attempted weak shots.
Then it all came together, as Maicon surged forward in the 37th minute and weaved in a brilliant pass for Luis Fabiano, who gave Buffon no chance at all to put the South Americans in the lead. Six minutes later, one of the best goalkeepers in the world was again picking the ball out of net. For his second, Fabiano was the initiator as well as executioner - collecting the ball from just outside the area and then exchanging passes with Kaka and Robinho before drilling the ball at the near post out of Buffon's reach.
Incredibly, two minutes later with the Italian defence in complete disarray, Robinho put the ball into Andrea Dossena's path - and to his teammates' horror, Dossena's touch wrong-footed Buffon and sent the ball into the net, and the carnival started for elated Brazilian fans.
And, while this happened, the Stars and Stripes just managed to squeeze through and edged into the semis through goal difference.
The Pharaohs felt the wrath of the US when Charlie Davies scored the first goal on 21 minutes. Then Michael Bradley inflicted more pain to the Egyptians with a second on the 63rd minute . Clint Dempsey then put matters beyond reach when he headed in a Jonathan Spector cross in the 70th minute to make it 3-0 .
Brazil teach Azzurri how to dance to Samba tune
The US played their best football last night, and it was just good enough.
The US played their best football last night, and it was just good enough.
While they easily disposed of the Egyptians with a convincing 3-0 pasting at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Phokeng, North West, it was just what the doctor has ordered. The defeats they suffered at the feet of Italy and Brazil earlier meant they went into this game also hoping for a miracle.
Meanwhile, in a match punted as the final before the final, the Italians meekly submitted themselves to the spanking by Brazil who defeated the world champions 3-0 at Loftus Stadium in Tshwane.
Maicon's shot in the sixth minute skimmed the up-right, then Kaka also tried his luck. Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was bombarded from all ends, while his opposite number, Julio Cesar, had a holiday at the other end.
The Italians were so ripe for the taking that even captain Lucio wanted in on the action and almost uprooted the up-right in the 34th minute.
The Italians meanwhile had only been near the other end twice, when Luca Toni and then Mauro Camoranesi found a gap and attempted weak shots.
Then it all came together, as Maicon surged forward in the 37th minute and weaved in a brilliant pass for Luis Fabiano, who gave Buffon no chance at all to put the South Americans in the lead. Six minutes later, one of the best goalkeepers in the world was again picking the ball out of net. For his second, Fabiano was the initiator as well as executioner - collecting the ball from just outside the area and then exchanging passes with Kaka and Robinho before drilling the ball at the near post out of Buffon's reach.
Incredibly, two minutes later with the Italian defence in complete disarray, Robinho put the ball into Andrea Dossena's path - and to his teammates' horror, Dossena's touch wrong-footed Buffon and sent the ball into the net, and the carnival started for elated Brazilian fans.
And, while this happened, the Stars and Stripes just managed to squeeze through and edged into the semis through goal difference.
The Pharaohs felt the wrath of the US when Charlie Davies scored the first goal on 21 minutes. Then Michael Bradley inflicted more pain to the Egyptians with a second on the 63rd minute . Clint Dempsey then put matters beyond reach when he headed in a Jonathan Spector cross in the 70th minute to make it 3-0 .
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