USA 2 - Spain 0

A live... well, contemporaneous, blogging of USA-Spain Confederations Cup semi-final.

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lineups - Riera? where's Silva or Iniesta? Cesc with the start. Neal will be happy.

US has Bocanegra back, and playing on the left. A more solid defender than bornstein. but good on the US for going 4-4-2 and not packing the midfield or backline

early chance for riera to cross, villa there but onwyewu clears. uh oh.

(BTW, I know how it ends but not how it happens. Dad with a big mouth.)

push on villa, but Howard with a punch right back up the middle. uh oh.

altidore earns a corner. lando to take... good one but no one there

nice pass out of the bck by gooch but casillas clears. donovan throwing himself around and earns a yc. uh oh.

and ESPN just runs the final score across the scroll. GOD DAMN THEM how stupid is that?

US seems to have identified their forward speed against Spain's backline as an advantage. we'll see if it pays off.

great bike from Davies! but jozy should have shot first time.

another good cross that davies gets a head to. NICE work. US working hard and.... Dempsey close from the top of the key! Great spell of pressure from the US. Spain not holding the ball in teh face of US pressure.

9 minutes in and this is like ManU/Barca. Almost feel like Spain will score now and turn the match. Cesc tries from distance, but that's not the magic moment. Clark needs to close down quicker.

Torres! Oh... Spain so dangerous but the didn't really have an angle - on replay. Still nice cross. Again Villa. How much do Valencia want for him? Might be worth it.

Spain passing better and getting the ball into the box. NOthing yet but they're sticking to plan A so far.

Lot of space b/w spain's midfield and defence. alonso the holding player and he's a playmaker not a water carrier. could be the space for the US to work.

torres in ACRES of space. great save by howard though torres was called - incorrectly - offsides. someone missed an assignment there!

riera a black hole for spain. was he really their best option for that spot?

shoot jozy! Shoot!

nice tackle by clarke at the top of the box. and he hasn't been sent off yet.

lando shoots from distance... again lots of space in front of the spanish defence.

pinball in the box from spain. anything can happen, but they aren't as sharp as expected for whatever reason.

28 mins - jozy turns his defender he's free! he must... iker gets a hand on it but it's a goal!!!!!!! USA 1 - Spain 0.

defender went for the ball off a deflection - capdevilla i think - but has to go the wrong way around jozy and gives him a straight run at goal. Lucky bounce but terrible defensive decision.

spector crosses wildly. oy!

ramos with a rainbow cross that lands right on villa's boot. no pot of gold though as the US clears.

villa again after riera's shot comes off torres but he balloons his shot! phew. layoff for the US.

i'm at my dad's place and have officially fallen in love with HD. just saying.

Spain getting away with seemingly clear free kicks. but dempsey called for the same thing. double standard?

US defending well. Hope I don't jinx something that happened 10 hours ago.

Altidore mugged by Capdevilla. Booked, but has Jozy's credit cards now.

Resulting free kick and Demps has a free header and manages to head it away from Bocanegra and the goal. D'oh!!!!

SO pretty when spain moves the ball around but with the final pass Cesc bangs the ball off Torres' heel. Not a good night so far for Spain's Scouse contingent.

Alonso chops down Jozy. 0-3 for Liverpool so far.

Sloppy free kick from Spain. Don't see that often. But they get the ball back and ram it right down the US and almost score. That's why they're so good. Ramos has the ball bounce off both his feet as he was escorted down by DeMerit, but no call. Couldn't have argued a PK there. Demerit has an armlock on him.

Can the US keep the lead through to halftime?

US doing a good job denying Xavi and Cesc the ball.

Torres shoots! Near post save from Howard. Leaning out, but kick save and a beaut! Great burst of speed and a nice cut back move from Torres.

HALFTIME

No halftime show from ESPN in this replay. Why not after ALREADY ANNOUNCING THE FINAL SCORE!?!??!?

Lando abuses Capdevilla again. Corner. Up and over from Dempsey. Karate kicked for his troubles too.

Howard clears Torres' cross. Then saves from Villa! Nice strike w/ the outside of his left boot. Guzan would have flapped at that first cross, I guarantee it!

Onyewu dribbles into trouble on the flank... but Demerit and Howard clear up against Villa through the middle. Uh oh.

Torres doesn't get the 2 in a 1-2, but the US under the cosh now as the ball isn't leaving their half. Another shot from distance and another Spain corner... nothing, but again the ball doesn't leave the US half and another corner. A bouncing shot from Villa a that Howard holds. But here comes Spain again. Demps whacked by Alonso again and the US gets a breather.

Davies onside from Lando... but over hits the cross

Xavi goes down in the box... no call. What the hell happened there? Great pass from Cesc and Lando leveled Xavi who was in on Howard.

Clarke carries the ball all the way to Spain's box to show how lousy his passing can be. Thanks.

Villa shoots again. Howard saves. How much for Villa again?

Jozy earns a corner with some nice footwork... Lando to take... nothing.

Alonso a step slow in anticipating Xavi's pass and the US break. Throw... Pique intercepts and brings it up... back to Howard now... Xavi spreads it to Ramos for ANOTHER corner.

Villa shoots wide from distance. US can't hold the ball at the moment.

Hour mark... time for changes?

Pique breaks again... Kolo Toure-like. He LOVES carrying the ball upfield. He'll get burned one day.

Riera hesitates and Demerit blocks his shot. Villa on it and it's 1-1.

Big shot... howard deflects the ball JUST wide of danger. Then another save with his fists.

Davies can't beat Puyol when he had options in the box.

Demerit and Spector JUST deny Torres. Again the US can't hold on ... Ramos' shot blocked! Nice work by Clarke who hasn't been sent off yet.

THo wasting time after a BRUTAL five minute spell. Where's Cobi Jones? No one carried the ball into the corner like he did in his prime. Or long past it for that matter.

68 mins - Cazorla for Cesc for width. Feilhaber for Davies for composure.

Torres can't bring down a long cross. Not his night.

Clarke saves a bad Bocanegra throw... Demps away... US possession around the Spain box... comes to nothing.

Good cross from Riera. Demerit snuffs out Torres run. Goal kick. Not Torres' night.

73 min - What a sequence! Bradley wins the ball... Feilhaber feeds lando who crosses... mix up in the defence and the ball falls to Dempsey who made a smart far-post run and it's 2-0!!! USA!! USA!! Great work by all involved. A beautifully worked goal.

Lando's cross hits off Pique ( i think) and wrong foots Ramos who can only kill the ball, not clear it. Demps on hand to finish. US made their luck there.

Jozy milking a foul. Jozy was offsides on the goal. Lucky it didn't run to him.

Ricardo Clarke still on the pitch. For better or worse.

Torres surprised as a cross lands at his feet. Not his night.

Villa hits it from the free kick... Howard holds again.

Shot from distance. Howard saves. Lather, repeat.

10 minutes left...

US holding the ball well. Nice change... Jozy offsides as they move it forward. Close call.

US living dangerously with the ball in and around their box... but what's new tonight? Spain could have a hatful but just don't look right tonight. Just a beat off.

(I can't believe i just typed that.)

Gooch clears this time. Another corner... Spain with 3 chances that time before the US clears for another corner... Now Lando on the break... but gives it right back. Sigh.

Casey (on for Jozy) could have taken it to the Cobi corner but is offsides. Here comes Spain again...

Red card! Bradley not Clarke. Hard challenge, but didn't look malicious. No studs showing... no trailing leg. Well, maybe maybe studs up on the replay but no need for a red card. US will miss Bradley if they advance.

Puyol gets the ball stuck under him. Anyone else - save for Riera - and Spain score there.

Gooch clears again. FIFA could have saved money and only played this match on one side of the field. Well, except for those two goals.

3 minutes added.

Good covering from Feilhaber. 2 minutes left.

Shaq to Cleveland. Too little, too late. Whooops, reading the crawl again. Almost bored with Spain's attacking now. It's constant but it's not very inventive. Just crossing for Torres and the US can deal with that. No Villa for a while... wait, there he is... goal kick. Looked like a corner.

GAME!!!!!!!!!!!

USA! USA! USA!!

Torres and Gooch trade jerseys. Torres doesn't look happy. I'm guessing that one doesn't get hung up in the rec room at Casa Torres any time soon.

What a night for US soccer. What a turn around from the team we saw against Spain and Italy. See you Sunday for the finals! The US will miss Bradley, but hey... this is ALL gravy for us! Delicious, delicious gravy.