SOUTH KOREA: US FANS REACT TO SURPRISE AMERICAN WORLD CUP FOOTBALL 3-2 VICTORY OVER PORTUGAL

Record ID: 640581

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: US FANS REACT TO SURPRISE AMERICAN WORLD CUP FOOTBALL 3-2 VICTORY OVER PORTUGAL
  • Date: 5th June 2002
  • Summary: SUWON, SOUTH KOREA (JUNE 5, 2002) (REUTERS) U.S. FANS LEAVING THE STADIUM WAVING FLAGS AND CHEERING (Soundbite) (English) U.S. FAN SAYING "You have to believe in dreams, this is what the World Cup is all about. Figo - no no figo, Brien McBride, Landon Donovan those are the real heroes, that's right, and here we are 3-2." MORE CELEBRATIONS SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (JUNE 5, 2002) (REUTERS) U.S. TOURISTS AND OFF DUTY SERVICE MEN WATCHING THE MATCH ON TELEVISION (Soundbite) (English) US SUPPORTER SAYING "Very proud, very proud. it's a surprising victory, I thought we were going to lose this one, but we won so pretty unreal." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SEOUL AND SUWON, SOUTH KOREA
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9C5YRQIGO4C0TVS3RAIV5I695
  • Story Text: The United States celebrated their greatest win in over half a century on Wednesday (June 5), with fans hailing the shock 3-2 World Cup defeat of Portugal as proof that American soccer had come of age.
    The United States, whose victory revived memories of their 1-0 defeat of England in the 1950 World Cup, won the game with three goals in the first 36 minutes from midfielders John O'Brien and Landon Donovan and striker Brian McBride.
    Soccer may be the world's favourite game but, to many Americans, it is a game played by children and women still eclipsed by baseball, basket ball and American football eight years after their country hosted the World Cup finals.
    American fans leaving the match in Suwon, South Korea, were ecstatic, seeing the victory as a sign that the men's game may be catching up with the U.S. women's soccer team, who won the world title in 1999.
    Portugal were expected to win the group comfortably after reaching the semi-finals of the 2000 European Championships. They now trail South Korea, who beat Poland 2-0 on Monday, and the United States.
    South Korea's victory in their opening match was their first World Cup finals win on their sixth appearance in the knock-out stage of the tournament.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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