"Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down."
-refrain of the 1643 English ballad "The World Turned Upside Down"
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US WIN AMERICA-AND-REST-OF-WORLD CUP MEET
Late last evening, Brian McBride and Landon Donovan tallied a soccerpoint apiece as the USofA soccer stars won their second-phase meet against Not America in the Summer Soccer Kickaround. They recorded a big two-to-zero score as opposing XI Not America failed to make the sort of offensive plays that troubled the Italians (a kind of American found in Mafia movies) in their previous match-up. It's the first soc-casion the US have made an elimination-round advancement in the Kickaround, sponsored by Mastercard.
Bruce Arena, the head coach of the US soccer side, took five from making major tactical calls to talk up his right-sided running back, Claudio Reyna of the Sunderland Blackcats. "Claudio played a position he's not used to and we came through big," said Arena. "I'm proud of my guys and it is a great day for US soccer. Mexico are a great team who were just a few minutes away from qualifying from the group with three wins, so this was an impressive victory."
Not America captain Rafael Marquez, who was sent to the sin-bin for a arsekick-headbutt super-combo on 88 thus giving a time-remainder powerplay to US, blamed his side's defeat on a totally bogus psychological mindset. "We tried to change a little after their first goal, so did they and we were caught cold which made us despair a little and took away some of our drive to equalize and made us careless at the back." The soccer-mad Not Americans are stunned by this addition to their loss stats, but we gotta move on; the States square off against a suspiciously un-American team called Germany on Friday. USA! USA! USA!
-from the Guardian on June 17, 2002
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Germany defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16, while the United States surprised heavily favored Mexico 2-0.
Germany and the United States have played once at a World Cup previously - in 1998, Germany won 1-0 in a Group F matchup.
Germany won the FIFA World Cup in 1954, 1974 and 1990 and finished runner-up in 1966, 1982 and 1986. Brazil is the only country that has won more FIFA World Cups.
USA finished 3rd place at the 1930, but otherwise this is the best World Cup performance in their history.
-excerpts from a handout given to various press members at Munsu Cup Stadium on June 21, 2002.