Both Portugal and USA rue the missed opportunity
America: From win to draw in 30 seconds
They were less than 30 seconds away. The Americans were about to romp into the round of 16 at the World Cup, about to walk off with their first come-from-behind win at soccer’s showcase. About to advance with a game to spare. About to win consecutive World Cup games for the first time since 1930.
But they wilted in the Amazon heat and humidity.
Varela’s goal on a diving header off Cristiano Ronaldo’s cross 4 1/2 minutes into five minutes of stoppage time gave Portugal a 2-2 tie Sunday on an exhausting night in the rainforest capital.
“It’s tough, but it’s just the way it goes,” US captain Clint Dempsey said. “We’re Americans. I think we like to do things the hard way.”
Now the US may need a point on Thursday against three-time champion Germany to advance to the knockout stage. The Americans could clinch with a loss, depending on the result of the Portugal-Ghana game that will be played simultaneously.
“Somebody sent me a text: It feels awesome and awful at the same time,” US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said.
Germany and the US have four points each, but the Germans have a better goal difference. Portugal and Ghana have one point. All four nations remain alive.
1982 once againIJ
Both the Americans and Germans would advance with a tie. US coach Jurgen Klinsmann, a star for West Germany’s team that won the 1990 title, dismissed the notion that he would entertain trying to play a draw if asked by current Germany coach Joachim loew, his assistant on his homeland’s 2006 World Cup squad.
“There’s no such call,” Klinsmann said. “There’s no time right now to have friendship calls. It’s about business now.”
American players still were showering off the sweat from the steamy Amazon night when the first questions about a possible conspiracy were asked: Would the United States and Germany try to play to a tie Thursday that would guarantee World Cup advancement to both nationsIJ
At the 1982 World Cup in Spain, where West Germany opened with a 2-1 loss to Algeria and beat Chile 4-1. Austria defeated Algeria 2-0, then defeated Chile 1-0 on June 24.
When West Germany and Austria played the following day at Gijon’s Estadio El Molinon, a German victory by one or two goals would ensure both teams advanced. Horst Hrubesch scored for the West Germans 10 minutes in, and players spent much of the rest of the evening passing to their teammates without threatening the opposing goal.
West Germany won 1-0 and reached the second round along with Austria, while Algeria was eliminated. The game became known as the “Nichtangriffspakt von Gijon (Nonaggression Pact of Gijon)” and “Schande von Gijon (Disgrace of Gijon).”
“You’re talking about a game that is decades away that is only part of the Germany history and not the United States,” Klinsmann said. “The United States is known to give everything they have in every single game. ... We have that fighting spirit. We have that energy and that determination to do well in every single game.”
“I don’t think that we are made for draws, really, except if it happens like tonight — two late goals, last seconds. I think both teams go into this game and they want to win the group.”
Gulati said deliberately playing for a tie is inconceivable. “It’s not what this team is about, not what this coach is about and it’s not what Germany is like,” he said.
The US fell behind early for the fifth time in its last 12 World Cup matches when Geoff Cameron’s wayward clearance gifted Nani a fifth-minute goal.
Tim Howard made several tough saves to keep the US close, and Bradley nearly scored in the 55th, but his 6-yard shot toward an open goal clanked off the knee of defender Ricardo Costa.
Jermaine Jones finally tied it in the 64th with an exquisite 28-yard shot tucked inside the far post. And Dempsey put the Americans ahead 2-1 in the 81st.
A screaming, pro-American majority in the crowd of 40,123 was ready to party late into the steamy night. “We could all taste it. We could taste the second round. We were right there,” defender Matt Besler said,Not quite.
Eder stole the ball from Bradley at midfield and made a short pass to Nani, who sent it up the field and wide to Ronaldo. The Portugal captain lashed a 25-yard cross into the box, and Varela beat Cameron to the ball, deflating the red, white and blue-clad fans.
Klinsmann called it “a little bit of a bummer.”
Now it’s onto Recife. Nothing is decided. They could move on. Or after all this, they could be sent home. “We have one foot in the door,” the always-optimistic Klinsmann said. “Now we’re going to walk the second foot in there and get it done.”