World Cup: It all happened so fast for the U.S.
Twelve seconds is all it took.
From the time the ball left U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard’s hand to the time it hit the back of the Algerian net on a cool evening in Pretoria, only a dozen ticks of the clock elapsed.
Within that brief span, strange and memorable things occurred.
Landon Donovan sprinted down the right flank before slipping the ball to teammate Jozy Altidore. Altidore crossed it sharply into the penalty area. Clint Dempsey raced in and Algeria goalkeeper Rais M’Bolhi raced out.
M’Bolhi got there in the nick of time to block Dempsey’s half-shot. The ball sprang free, and there was Donovan — the man and the moment meeting at exactly the right instant.
Goal, USA. Victory, USA. Celebrations from one end of Loftus Versfeld Stadium to the other — at least among fans of the red, white and blue, including former president Bill Clinton. Among the green, not so much.
There were shouts of delight all the way from the White House to Wall Street. In Algiers, only silence.
Twelve seconds is all it took.
Meanwhile, England Coach Fabio Capello was counting the minutes to the final whistle, hoping that his team could cling to its 1-0 lead against Slovenia, courtesy of a Jermain Defoe goal, and that the U.S. and Algeria would remain tied in Pretoria.
There might have been something else in the back of Capello’s mind, a fond reminiscence, perhaps.
Thirty-six years ago to the day, he had scored his one and only World Cup goal, in a 2-1 loss by Italy to Poland at the 1974 World Cup in Germany.
But when Donovan’s shot smacked into the back of the net, Capello was suddenly right back in the present. The most dramatic goal in U.S. soccer history had not only eliminated Algeria from any further interest in the tournament but had also consigned England to second place in the group.
And what that means for England is yet another crossing of swords with Germany on the World Cup stage, this one on Sunday afternoon in Bloemfontein.
The Germans, beaten by England in the 1966 World Cup final but victorious against the English in the 1970 quarterfinals and the 1990 semifinals, scraped into the round of 16 by virtue of a 1-0 win on Wednesday over Ghana in Johannesburg, where Mesut Oezil’s goal made the difference.
There was a worthy footnote to the game because it saw two brothers playing against each other — Jerome Boateng for Germany and Kevin-Prince Boateng for Ghana.
Despite the loss, the Ghanaians left Soccer City in an upbeat mood, having advanced thanks to Australia’s 2-1 victory over Serbia in Nelspruit, a result that saw both of those teams fall by the wayside.
So it will be the U.S. versus Ghana on Saturday in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, a site already familiar to the Americans because it was where they tied England to begin their tournament.
The Black Stars knocked the U.S. out of the World Cup four years ago when Bruce Arena was the U.S. coach. Now, Arena’s longtime sidekick, Bob Bradley, has the chance to avenge that defeat.
Donovan, for one, recalls the pain of that 2006 ouster. In fact, in the emotional aftermath of Wednesday’s dramatic victory, the tears were still there.
“I’ve been through a lot in the last four years,” he said, “and I’m so glad it culminated this way. It makes me believe in good in the world. When you try to do things the right way, it’s good to see them get rewarded.”
Preceding Donovan in the postgame news conference was Algeria Coach Rabah Saadane, who reminded reporters of the need for perspective when analyzing the loss.
“This is the first time in 24 years that we have been at a World Cup,” he said. “You shouldn’t expect miracles.”
The U.S. would beg to differ.
Howard, who started the play that won the game, spotting Donovan running downfield and hitting him with a throw that would have made Peyton Manning proud, said the late heroics would have far-reaching impact.
“That’s probably going to capture more people’s attention than if we won the game, 3-0, and it was easy,” Howard said. “That emotion, that passion, is what American sports fans thrive on.”
If so, there’s more to come Saturday.
