Brazil

The five-times world champions trailed 2-0 at halftime to the hard-running Americans after goals by Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.

Luis Fabiano pulled one back at the start of the second half and levelled after 74 minutes before captain Lucio headed the winner six minutes from time.

“When we went in at halftime we only heard about was how we were going to come back and we got that at first goal at an important time,” he told reporters.

“It was great that we managed it. It was very hard and we had to fight for it.

“Our first goal was crucial to keep our belief. We scored early enough so that we knew we had plenty of time maybe to go to extra time. Then we got the second one. After that kept the ball, we moved them from side to side, we kept our patience and we got the third.”

Gilberto said his side had not been surprised by the quality of the Americans, who looked down and out in the qualifying stages but reached the final after ending Spain’s 35-match unbeaten run in the semifinals.

“We didn’t expect to concede two goals or concede them in the way we did but we expected a very hard game,” he said.

“We watched the game against Spain and it was basically the same. They work very hard and defend very determinedly.”

Gilberto said the tournament was important to the team who have now won it three times.

“It’s not easy to get to a final and we know how hard we had to work to do that,” he said. “We also knew what we had to do in this game and winning for the national team still feels the same as the first time.”

Source: supersport.co.za

A first half strike from Villarreal’s Jozy Altidore and another 16 minutes from time by Fulham’s Clint Dempsey did the damage on Wednesday in what will go down as one of the biggest victories in US football history.

They also had a flawless performance by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard and a commendable defensive display to thank for earning them a shot at the trophy on Sunday against either Brazil or hosts South Africa.

“When you play Spain you certainly have to work very hard as a group to defend. We made a special point to close down Xavi as best we could to prevent his penetrative passes,” said Bradley.

“We felt strongly that when we got the ball we needed to be aggressive and have the confidence that we could keep the ball and move it.

“We did a very good job of sealing down the middle of the field. Our backline did very well. It was a team effort to just try and make sure our defending was good and look for moments to score.”

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque admitted his side were outfoxed.

“We faced a team that played with good energy, was good in attack and was fast. We were surprised. The entire team was very dangerous for us,” he said.

“We are in the world of sport and it was a strong rival and I cannot be unhappy with the effort made by the team. We did everything we could.”

It was a remarkable upset on a freezing night that not only ended Spain’s record of 15 consecutive wins but also prevented them from surpassing Brazil’s 35-match unbeaten run.

Spain will have to be content with going into the history books level with the South Americans after their first loss since November 15, 2006.

“For us it’s a big night, huge,” added Bradley.

“We’re excited to be in the final and when you’re there you have chance to win. The motivation will be very high.”

Spain had won all three previous encounters but the United States’ miracle run to the last four, qualifying on goals scored after finishing level with Italy on goal difference, showed they could not be understimated.

Spain had the first chance of the match but the US weren’t sitting back and Charlie Davies sent a spectacular bicycle kick flashing just wide.

With Dempsey firing a long range drive close soon after it was clear they meant business.

At the other end Cesc Fabregas sent a cross in from the left which Fernando Torres volleyed just past the post.

They combined superbly again shortly after with the Liverpool striker forcing a fine one-handed save from his Merseyside rival Howard.

But in a major shock the US took the lead on 27 minutes when the powerful Altidore muscled past Joan Capdevila and Carles Puyol with Iker Casillas unable to prevent his shot finding the back of the net.

It was only the third goal Spain had conceded in 16 games.

Spain were in trouble but bounced back with a hatful of chances with Torres and Sergio Ramos in the thick of the action only for heroic defending to deny them.

They went to the break losing 1-0 and in need of something special.

David Villa almost provided it soon after the restart when he let rip from just inside the box but Howard turned it round the post.

They threw all they had at the Americans but captain Carlos Bocanegra and his defensive partners held firm and against the run of play they scored a second.

LA Galaxy’s Landon Donovan sent a cross in from the right and errors by Gerald Pique and Ramos allowed Dempsey to hustle the ball over the line for a famous victory.

Brazil and South Africa play their semifinal on Thursday.

Teams

Spain: 1-Iker Casillas; 15-Sergio Ramos, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol, 11-Joan Capdevila; 10-Cesc Fabregas (20-Santi Cazorla 68), 14-Xabi Alonso, 8-Xavi, 18-Albert Riera (22-Juan Mata 77); 7-David Villa, 9-Fernando Torres

US: 1-Tim Howard; 21-Jonathan Spector, 15-Jay DeMerit, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (2-Jonathan Bornstein 89); 8-Clint Dempsey, 12-Michael Bradley, 13-Ricardo Clark, 10-Landon Donovan; 9-Charlie Davies (22-Benny Feilhaber 69), 17-Jozy Altidore (4-Conor Casey 84)

Referee: Jorge Larrionda (Uruguay)

Source + Pic: supersport.co.za

What Coca-Cola have bought into and fallen in love with is Mkhize’s youthful vision for football and the brand. He thinks outside the box and instead of asking the question “why” Mkhize asks “why not?”The unusual decision to allow a student to direct the Coca-Cola 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup ad shows the company’s trust in the South African youth who are the countries future leaders and role models, and what they lack in experience they make up for with passion, drive and enthusiasm.

Twenty two year old Mkhize hails from Pietermaritzburg in Kwazulu Natal and, when not in Gauteng at the film school he lives with his mother, father and four brothers ranging from 4 to 29 years old. He attended Maritzburg College where he matriculated with exemption in 2005. His love for theater and movies started when he was twelve after watching hours of movies on television. It was at this time that he shifted his focus on sport to concentrate on his cultural activities.

At the time football was his love. He played in the left wing position but only managed to play C team at school. However, his passion for football never died and he started his own football club, Kings United Football Club, in Maritzburg in 2005.  Since its inception the Club has come second in the loca SAFA League for three years in succession. Mhkize obtained colours in speech and drama, was a member of the school choir and in 2005, his final year at school, he won the Best Director award for his production of Asinamali, a play focusing on the South African struggle.

It is not often discussed  in his family, but his grandmother was in theatre in the 60′s  at a time when being a black actor in South Africa was a challenge. But through hard work and dedication she managed to reach the top and travelled the world. After matriculating Mkhize joined the FET College in Pietermaritzburg where he studied business management which he believes is very important for his future career.

“I believe the business skills that I have learned will go a long way in helping me become successful in the future. Just like any footballer, we earn money but we need to learn how to manage this.”Mkhize is currently completing his Bachelor of Motion Picture diploma at AFDA. His hobbies include reading, music, poetry and story telling. Another goal he has for his future is to write a novel.

Coca-Cola will be behind in his quest to produce the Coca-Cola FIFA Confederations Cup ad and will offer him all the guidance that he will need, including a commercials director that will lead him through the trickier aspects of big-time commercial production. He will also get support from Coca-Cola through their assets  which include soccer icons and  ambassadors. At some stage Mhkize in his quest to produce the  COPA Coca-Cola Football Stars tournaments, as, like Mkhize, the play7ers who compete in the competition are under 18 and Coca-Cola is giving them the same opportunity of turning dreams into reality – Mkhize will make movies while the players become professional footballers.

Mhkize was given two weeks to put the ad together which included casting for actors then three days of shooting. The 1st screening was across all television channels on 4 May. Follow Mfundo on twitter http://twitter.com/FundzMkhize

Record Bafana Bafana (The Boys) scorer McCarthy had been expected to get the nod from Brazil-born coach Joel Santana despite shunning recent friendlies against Norway and Portugal.

Blackburn Rovers striker McCarthy, scorer of 31 goals for South Africa, claimed he was injured despite being cleared to play by medical staff at the English Premiership strugglers.

Santana and various predecessors have treated McCarthy with kid gloves despite a controversial national team career since bursting into the limelight at the 1998 African Nations Cup.

McCarthy becomes available and unavailable for the national squad with alarmingly frequency, although the failure of South Africa to produce world-class strikers sometimes leaves coaches with no option but to pick him.

“I’m happy the coach has finally made this decision regarding McCarthy,” said Gordon Igesund, who has guided numerous big and small South African clubs to the Premiership title.

He told the Kickoff football magazine website: “This is a good lesson that there is no player bigger than the country and that everyone deserves the same treatment.

“I have reservations about some in the squad who do not deserve to be included as they have not been active for their clubs,” said the coach considered the best in South Africa never to guide Bafana Bafana.

“Richard Henyekane should have been included based on his form. He is the leading Premiership scorer and has been one of the best players at Golden Arrows this season.”

Henyekane scored as Arrows shocked league leaders SuperSport United 2-1 Wednesday and raised his goal haul to 18 this season, two more than Confederations Cup squad member Mabhuti Khenyeza of Ajax Cape Town.

Bafana Bafana open the two-week dress rehearsal for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa against Asian champions Iraq on June 14 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg and also face New Zealand and Spain in the first phase.

Domestic expectations are high with most football followers expecting at least a semi-finals place although South Africa were ranked 18th in Africa by world football governing body FIFA Wednesday.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Brian Baloyi (Mamelodi Sundowns), Rowen Fernandez (Armenia Bielefeld/GER), Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates)

Defenders: Matthew Booth and Siboniso Gaxa (Sundowns), Morgan Gould and Bongani Khumalo (SuperSport Utd), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa/ISR), Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn Rovers/ENG, capt), Bryce Moon (Panathinaikos/GRE), Nasief Morris (Recreativo Heulva/ESP), Lucas Thwala (Pirates)

Midfielders: Innocent Mdledle, Benson Mhlongo and Teko Modise (Pirates), Lance Davids (SuperSport), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Golden Arrows), Elrio van Heerden (Club Brugge/BEL), Masilo Modubi (Westerlo/BEL), Surprise Moriri (Sundowns), Siyabonga Nkosi (Maccabi Netanya/ISR), Steven Pienaar (Everton/ENG), Macbeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan/RUS), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Chiefs)

Strikers: Thembinkosi Fanteni (Maccabi Haifa/ISR), Mabhuti Khenyeza (Ajax Cape Town), Katlego Mashego (Pirates), Katlego Mphela (Sundowns), Bernard Parker (Red Star/SRB)

Note: Squad will be trimmed to 23 before June 14-28 tournament.

Source: soccernews.com

Pic: skysports.com