One of the three best nights for US football just happened in beautiful Bloemfontein, the States reaching the finals of the Confederation Cup by convincingly shutting down Spain, a side unbeaten since 2006, European champions, and argubly the best team in the world right now.  The BBC announcers could confidently predict “Spain will have 70% possession tonight, no doubt about it” just two minutes into the match, before the US players marked early shots, neutering the Spanish midfield, and stomping on their fingers at the US goal.  Oguchi Onyewu and Jay DeMerit were everywhere in the back, and Timmy Howard was the wall he always is.

Nicest man you’ll ever meet, as an aside.  He can’t drink because of tourette’s, but he’d come to every Supporters club do we had at the old Metrostars to hang out with us drunken nobodies.  His fame is well earned on and off the pitch.

But the early goal by Jozy Altidore, the 19 year old child of Haitian immigrants to New Jersey, was one for all time.  Demmpsey’s second half goal to make it two seemed inevitable, as the Spanish could do nothing at the goal mouth, and  Altidore cut through them like a razor through the first 45.  Free State Stadium’s pitch looked like his backyard.

Read the pre-game set up: it’s no hyperbole to call this a stunner.  Roll on to Sunday!

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