Confed Cup bets still on as USA floor Pharoahs

This North West Province town is barely more than a decent throw-in away from Sun City but not even the most adventurous of risk takers at the gamblers’ paradise would have dared put a dime on the United States making it to the Confederations Cup semi-finals.

Bob Bradley’s Stars and Stripes turned up for their last Group B fixture against African champions Egypt here Sunday as such massive outsiders midfielder Clint Dempsey only realised they could still grab the runners-up spot and with it a ticket to the last four 24 hours before kick-off.

Lopsided defeats to Brazil and world champions Italy, losses compounded by having a player sent off in each game, had seemingly left them facing an early trip home.

But Dempsey’s 71st minute header coming on top of goals from Charlie Davies and Michael Bradley, the coach’s son, saw the CONCACAF Gold Cup winners sink Egypt and pip Italy on number of goals scored.

Man of the match Dempsey revealed he was only conscious the States had pulled off a Confed Cup conjuring trick when he saw the bench go wild on the final whistle.

“And to be honest I was only first aware that we could still go through the day before the game,” the Fulham midfielder told the post match press conference.

Captain Landon Donovan added: “We thought it was our last game, honestly, we just wanted to go out and give a good showing.”

Bradley junior was in dreamland.

“It’s an amazing thing and I can’t even begin to properly explain how happy I am right now. This team never stops scrapping and clawing and fighting. We proved people wrong.”

The reward for Dempsey, Donovan, Bradley and company is a daunting semi-final match-up with the world’s top-ranked team, Spain, in Bloemfontain, on Wednesday.

Dempsey reflected: “We have to regroup now and try to go as far as we can, as a player you don’t get many opportunities like this.”

“Spain are a great team,” Bradley senior ventured.

“We played them last year in a friendly in Santander, their last warm-up before Euro 2008.

“They wore us down in the second half, but then we watched as they wore down Russia, Holland and eventually Germany at the European championships.

“I pointed out to the players that they should take note that we had done a good job.

“It’s a short turnaround and playing them is such a challenge, it’s like playing Barcelona and the national team. We’ll have our work cut out against the likes of Torres and Xavi.”

It was tense stuff on Sunday night as one goal from the Egyptians would have closed the semi-final door for the States and seen the Pharoahs’ marching on to Bloemfontain as would an Italy fightback in their game against Brazil being played simultaneously over in Pretoria.

“We were getting updates from the Brazil match which finished before ours,” Bradley disclosed.

Dempsey chipped in: “At half time we were told Brazil were winning 3-0 and knew if we got a third goal we had a chance to go through. It was great to get the third but it wasn’t until I saw the bench at the end that I knew we’d made it.”

Bradley put his team’s remarkable change in fortune in part down to the F factor.

“We’ve been impressed with Egypt against Brazil and Italy but time is short between games in this competition and we knew fatigue could play a part if we could get an early lead.

“That’s what we failed to do against Brazil.

“The most important thing in that game was we didn’t start well. We allowed them to have the edge, that put us in a defensive mode.”

With that Bradley, like a true gambler, took off into the African night to savour the win and contemplate his hand before the next throw of the Confederations Cup dice.