Spain v USA
By Kicks off 19:30 (BST), 14:30 (EDT), 11:30 (PDT). I think I have the times right this time, but the aforementioned “love of my life” from the previous post on the Egypt match did take a certain delight in my public embarrassment.
In my first post on the Confederations Cup back on June 15, I said one thing that appears prescient in retrospect, ” . . . who knows, with just a bit of luck, maybe they make it out of the group.” As Paul points out, by the final group stage match, luck was definitely required.
I also stated in that first post that the “Smart money’s on Spain to win this thing, of course.” I still have to agree with this initial assessment of the tournament. Indeed, if Spain draw or win, they will set a record of 36 straight matches without defeat. For such record book purposes, if a match goes to penalties, which this one would do in the event of a draw, it counts as a draw even if Spain were to lose the penalty shootout. Thus when I argue with my British / European friends and colleagues that the USA were the only side to take a point off of Italy in the 2006 World Cup, it’s technically not true, as France held Italy to a draw in the final. When I make this claim, I oddly fail to elaborate on such pedantic details.
Bocanegra should be fit, and Sacha Kljestan is back from suspension, thus well rested. While Kljestan may well be correct in his assertion that it is “time for them to lose one”, this loss by Spain is more likely to be Brazil in the final than the USA in the semi-final. I look forward to a third-place match between the USA and the hosts, South Africa. It’s this degree of optimism that prevented me from heading to the bookies before the Egypt match with £10 for the USA to advance . . .
