U.S. Keeps Germany Going in Reverse, 3-0
The United States earned one of the more significant victories in its 86-year soccer history Saturday, shutting out European champion Germany, 3-0, in Jacksonville, Fla.
The U.S. goals were scored by Americans currently playing in the German Bundesliga--Jovan Kirovski of Fortuna Cologne, Tony Sanneh of Hertha Berlin and Claudio Reyna of VfL Wolfsburg.
The result, a complete reversal of the United States’ 2-0 loss to Germany in World Cup ’98 last June, is sure to have far more negative repercussions in Germany than positive ones in the U.S.
“It was a disaster,” said Lothar Matthaeus, Germany’s 37-year-old captain and 1990 World Cup winner who was playing in his national-record 131st international game. “Everything went wrong.”
German Coach Erich Ribbeck, who already had lost to Turkey in his first game in charge, was stunned by the result as he tries to rebuild a team eliminated in the quarterfinals of France ’98.
“The goals came fast and by the time it was 2-0, I think the game was over,” he said.
Ribbeck’s four-game career as coach might be in jeopardy too. There were dozens of German reporters at Alltel Stadium and their reports were certain to be uncomplimentary. The Germans, lackluster and unimaginative, were outplayed by the Americans in every aspect of the game.
“They were more aggressive and more agile than we were,” Ribbeck admitted.
The U.S., which had gone scoreless for 288 minutes dating to its 2-1 World Cup loss to Iran, banged in three goals in the span of 10 extraordinary minutes in the first half.
Kirovski, 22, from Escondido, scored the first with a rocketlike 18-yard shot into the upper-right corner of the net in the 16th minute after receiving a pass from Jeff Agoos and turning defender Markus Babbel inside out with a fine cutback move.
Sanneh, 27, from St. Paul, Minn., made it 2-0 in the 24th minute, stealing the ball from Jens Jeremies in midfield and sprinting in alone on goal before steering the ball wide of German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.
Two minutes later, it was Reyna’s turn. The 25-year-old midfielder from Livingston, N.J., started the move by passing to Chris Armas, who fed the ball wide to Eddie Lewis on the left flank. Lewis, a former UCLA player from Cerritos, crossed it back into the middle for Reyna to tap into the net while the Germans appealed unsuccessfully for offside.
“The guys were working hard for each other out there,” said Reyna, who had been a disappointment at the World Cup. “Everyone wanted the ball, everyone wanted to be involved. That’s what it takes. This was a huge game.”
Not so, said Bruce Arena, who earned his first victory as U.S. coach after 0-0 ties with Australia and Bolivia.
“This was a good result for us, although I am not going to make a big deal out of it,” he said. “What I am looking for is improvement in my team each time it plays.”
Arena used an unusual 3-5-2 formation, with C.J. Brown, the Galaxy’s Robin Fraser and Agoos as defenders; Lewis, Reyna, Kirovski, Armas and Sanneh as midfielders, and Brian McBride and the Galaxy’s Cobi Jones as forwards. Goalkeeper Tony Meola earned his 29th shutout in 89 games for the U.S.
“This was really important,” Kirovski said. “I think this is something good we can build on.”
In the other game in the doubleheader, Alexander Bugera scored in the 69th minute as Germany beat the United States, 1-0, in a game between teams of Olympic-eligible players.
Bugera scored his second goal in as many appearances for the German under-21 team, and it came with the U.S. squad playing a man down. Chad McCarty had been sent off in the 56th minute after receiving his second yellow card.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
