U.S. Stuns Germany and Earns Berth in Semifinals

The United States scored one of its most impressive soccer victories Friday evening when it defeated European champion Germany for the second time this year.

Goals by Ben Olsen and Joe-Max Moore earned the U.S. team a 2-0 triumph in front of 53,000 fans at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, and a place in the semifinals of the fourth FIFA Confederations Cup.

The Americans, who earlier beat New Zealand, 2-1, and lost to Brazil, 1-0, needed only a tie to advance but came away with a huge win despite making nine changes in their starting lineup.

They took the lead in the 24th minute when San Diego’s Frankie Hejduk sent a cross in from the right wing, Paul Bravo controlled it and passed to Olsen and the Washington D.C. United player beat goalkeeper Jens Lehmann to his left.

Five minutes into the second half, Moore, the former UCLA player from Irvine, made up for his saved penalty kick against Brazil on Wednesday night by blasting a free kick into the top left corner of the net to make it 2-0. It was Moore’s 20th international goal.

The victory earned the U.S. second place in Group B behind the Brazilians, who shut out New Zealand, 2-0, in a later match. The Americans will play Group A winner Mexico on Sunday at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The game, which will draw 100,000, can be seen on pay-per-view only.

The U.S., beaten, 2-0, by Germany in the 1998 World Cup, stunned the Germans, 3-0, in a friendly game in Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 6, scoring three goals in an 11-minute span from Jovan Kirovski, Tony Sanneh and Claudio Reyna.

That loss, plus a 4-0 Confederations Cup defeat by Brazil last week--Germany’s worst loss in 45 years--caused the German media to call for the firing of Coach Erich Ribbeck. Now, he is quite likely to be shown the door.

For the U.S., the door is just opening.

“We are becoming a soccer-playing nation,” Coach Bruce Arena said.

And that was before Friday’s victory.