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"It was extremely nerve-racking," said defender
Eddie Pope. "We were all on the field and on the bench
just in knots."
Cracked U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel about the pressure of
the last 20 minutes, "That's why I'm bald!"
It was only the fifth World Cup victory in United States'
history, and only Senegal's 1-0 upset of defending champion
France in the opening game could be considered a bigger upset
so far in this tournament.
"However, our World Cup is not over," Arena said.
"We want to get our team ready for the next game against
a very strong opponent [tournament co-host South Korea, on
Monday]. Our goal is to make it to the second round."
The World Cup includes teams from 32 nations, divided into
eight groups of four countries each. In the first round, each
group plays a round-robin format, with teams collecting three
points for each victory and one point for each tie. The two
teams with the best first-round record in each group advance
to the second round.
With tonight's win, the United States is tied with South
Korea for the lead in Group D. The two countries meet Monday
at 2:30 a.m. EDT in what is sure to be the most watched sporting
event in South Korea's history.
South Korea's 2-0 victory over Poland Tuesday night riveted
the country, as hundreds of thousands jammed Seoul's outdoor
plazas and 40,000-seat baseball stadium to watch on giant-screen
TVs. In the southeastern port city of Busan, where the match
was played, Busan Asiad Stadium was packed with red-shirted
supporters who created an ear-splitting din with their screams,
chants, songs and drums.
It was a far more subdued crowd for the U.S.-Portugal match.
Only a few thousand Americans, if that many, appeared to have
trekked halfway around the world to cheer on the team. Those
who did, however, proudly bore their cultural heritage. Among
them were dozens draped in the American flag, two "cheese-heads,"
an Elvis Presley impersonator and one flying a Grateful Dead
banner.
While soccer's popularity has boomed in the United States
over the last decade, producing a far deeper talent pool than
what existed in the 1994 and '98 World Cups, the country hardly
churns out soccer talent at the rate of countries such as
Brazil, Argentina and Germany.
Arena spent nearly four years assembling his 23-player national
team roster, selecting the best, based on a combination of
talent, work ethic and compatibility.
But on the eve of the tournament, he saw the team's anchor
sidelined by injury. Reyna, who orchestrates the action from
midfield, strained a thigh muscle. Then Arena benched his
hottest scorer, Clint Mathis, after deciding his fitness and
professionalism fell short of what was required.
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