BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP): Goalkeeper Tim Howard's standout performance helped to beat European champion Spain 2-0 on Wednesday in one of America's greatest football victories.
"It certainly can be argued that if it's not the top, it's up there," Howard said after the stunning win put the Americans into Sunday's Confederations Cup final.
"We're scratching our heads the same way you guys are, but it goes to show what hard work and commitment to each other can bring. Sometimes football is a funny thing."
Spain peppered the American goal with 29 shots and when Howard wasn't stopping eight of them, many were being blocked by his lunging defenders, who kept Spain off the scoresheet for the first time since last summer's European Championship.
"Anytime you come out with a shock win you have to take your chances in front of goal and we did. We had some guys who were defending like bandits and you need your goalkeeper to come up with some saves," the Everton keeper said. "You get lucky on certain occasions but we rode our luck today. Unbelievable."
The surprising run by the U.S. continued after enduring a 3-1 loss to Italy and 3-0 to Brazil to open the World Cup warmup event. It got through to the semifinal against FIFA's top-ranked team on goal difference after a 3-0 win over African champion Egypt.
"Three games ago I think it would have been impossible to think about a night like tonight," Howard said. "We've had our fair of critics but we stood up and took it on the chin and kept going.
"I could probably give you a 1,000 reasons but I don't think any of them would have done tonight justice."
U.S. coach Bob Bradley clogged Spain's flowing attack by shoring up the midfield and forced the Spanish to take their one-touch attack to the wings instead.
"We had to pick our poison at times because they can do whatever they want with the ball," Howard said. "We said you're not going to go through us, you're going to have to go around us."
Spain striker Fernando Torres said the U.S. played fantastic in front of Howard. "Maybe it wasn't our best performance but you can't take away from what the U.S. did.
They attacked and defended well and scored the goals they needed," Torres said. "I don't know if they deserved to win but they won and in the end that's what matters."
Although Howard wasn't overly keen on a rematch with Brazil in the final, he wasn't worried about a letdown on Sunday. Brazil plays South Africa in the other semifinal on Thursday.
"We're the first U.S. team to get to a major final so it's impossible to have a letdown," Howard said. "The spirit and fight will 100 percent be there."
Howard doubted whether the win would change anyone's perspective of American football.
"You hope things like this will help turn the corner but I'm not optimistic. (But) nights like this don't often happen," Howard said. "But the reality that the American football fan has to get used to is that not many teams beat Spain and beat Brazil. That's why they're (the best) in the world. That's why it's not doom and gloom when you lose."
http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/6/25/sports/20090625083137&sec=sports
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