Own Goal by U.S. Team Gives Brazil 1-0 Victory

There were four questions worth asking at the Coliseum Thursday night:

--What was press magnate Rupert Murdoch doing up in the VIP suites with FIFA President Joao Havelange and Secretary General Joseph “Sepp” Blatter?

--How could the United States possibly lose its CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal, 1-0, to Brazil, after playing so well?

--When will Eric Wynalda ever receive an easier chance to score and still blow it?

--Why did Marcelo Balboa choose such an inopportune moment to stick out his leg?

The likely answer to the first is that Murdoch was setting up some sort of media coup, perhaps something to do with television rights. But that’s only speculation.

The answer to the second is more clear cut and is inextricably linked to the third and fourth questions.

The game, played in front of 22,038, turned on one crucial play. Well, perhaps three or four, but one in particular.

With the score 0-0 late in the second half, Brazilian forward Savio made a run down the right flank and fired the ball toward the goal from an oblique angle.

U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller had the near post covered, but Balboa, lunging to try to steer the ball out of bounds, accidentally deflected it into his own net.

“I tried to shoot the ball to the far post, and that’s a very dangerous ball because if anybody sticks his leg out, it could be a goal,” Savio said.

And so it was. The United States listed it as an own goal. Brazilian Coach Mario Zagalo said it belonged to Savio.

“It was one of those things,” Balboa said. “It [Savio’s shot] bounced off my thigh.”

Regardless, the result put Brazil into Sunday’s championship final at 4 p.m. in the Coliseum against the winner of tonight’s semifinal in San Diego between Mexico and Guatemala.

“It was unfortunate on the own goal, but these things happen,” said U.S. Coach Steve Sampson, who was full of praise for his players despite the loss.

“I’m very proud of our players the way they played,” he said. “Extremely proud. Every single time we’ve played this team, we have played better, and I think we demonstrated that on the field today. We didn’t play conservative soccer. We didn’t play to defend. We played to attack and we played to win.

“This Brazilian team was very happy to win this match, because they knew they were in a fight. They knew that they could lose the game. So, looking at the big picture, I have to be very proud of the way we played.”

It was a one-goal game, but there could easily have been three or four.

As early as the eighth minute, Brazilian striker Jamelli hammered a shot against the foot of the left post. Ten minutes later, Keller made a superb save, tipping a close-range header from Jamelli over the crossbar.

At the other end, the United States wasted a gilt-edged opportunity in the 43rd minute when Wynalda somehow contrived to miss an open net.

U.S. midfielder John Harkes stole the ball on the right and drew goalkeeper Dida toward him before passing to Wynalda in front of the net. Instead of blasting the ball home, Wynalda casually side-footed it toward the unguarded net, only to see it cleared off the line by the desperate lunge of Brazilian defender Carlinhos.

“It was unfortunate that Eric missed the opportunity, but Eric has scored some great goals for us,” Sampson said. “He’s already scored three goals for us in this tournament and he scored three goals in the Copa America [in Uruguay last July, where the U.S team also was beaten, 1-0, by Brazil in the semifinals].

“Eric is a great player. He’ll remember this game and he’ll take advantage of the next opportunity.”