Landon Donovan and US teammates celebrate the “stunning” 2-0 victory over Spain in Blomfontein. (AP photo by Antonio Calanni)
George Vecsey reports for The New York Times:
The stunning 2-0 victory by the United States over Spain —the best team in the world— is probably the greatest victory by the men’s national soccer team.
And when you think of it, the victory Wednesday is probably the second-biggest upset by an American team, behind only the 1980 Miracle on Ice by the hockey team over the Soviet Union in the Olympics.
Those Soviets were state-supported professionals, beaten by amateurs from the United States. On the field in South Africa on Wednesday, everybody was a professional, although just about every Spanish player is employed at a higher level than his American counterpart.
This shocking match in the Confederations Cup in Bloemfontein was the equivalent of those one-off thrillers, like Gonzaga or Davidson beating one of the giants of American college basketball.