The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

U.S. Soccer president ranks win over Spain among best

Next up for the team is South American champion Brazil.

Jozy Altidore of the United States and teammate Charlie Davies (right) celebrate their team's first goal against Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinal Wednesday.

Associated Press photo by Martin Meissner Jozy Altidore of the United States and teammate Charlie Davies (right) celebrate their team's first goal against Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinal Wednesday.

ENLARGE PHOTO

High school sports results for May 26
5/26/12
Reds' six-game winning streak broken
5/26/12
Annual Warrior Soccer Classic kicks off today
5/26/12
Dragons' rally falls short against Lansing
5/26/12
WSU baseball ousted from tournament
5/26/12
> More sports headlines

By Andrew Dampf, Associated Press Updated 1:54 AM Saturday, June 27, 2009

JOHANNESBURG — If the United States follows its upset of European champion Spain with a victory over South American champion Brazil in the Confederations Cup final Sunday, June 28, it would be the greatest back-to-back wins in American soccer history.

U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati ranked Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over the world’s top-ranked team alongside the 1989 victory at Trinidad and Tobago that earned the U.S. its first World Cup berth since 1950, a first-round win over Colombia at the 1994 World Cup, and wins over Portugal and Mexico en route to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals.

“I think people generally agree that this would be in that same group. I wasn’t around in the 1950 game,” Gulati said, referring to what many regard as the No. 1 U.S. win, the 1-0 upset of England at the 1950 World Cup.

“What would be very, very unique would be to win the trophy here and have two of those games in a row,” Gulati said. “Then I think you can certainly say it’s been the best week in the history of U.S. soccer.”

Share this article