U.S. unloads stunner in World Cup play

SUWON, South Korea -- Wake up, America! The U.S. soccer team is no longer a World Cup pushover.

That was clear by the way the United States ran around heavily favored Portugal in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the world's most popular sporting event.

And by the way "Sam's Army" -- the U.S. fans who made the 7,000-mile journey to South Korea -- ridiculed the Portuguese with chants of "Over-rated!"

Fans across the United States awoke at 5 a.m. Wednesday in the East and stayed up late in the West to watch in disbelief as the red, white and blue pulled off the team's biggest win since it beat England in 1950.

The 3-2 victory over Portugal, ranked fifth in the world, gave the new-look U.S. team a good chance to get to the second round of soccer's showcase event. Times sure have changed since the last-place finish at the 1998 World Cup in France.

"This victory will grab the attention of a lot of people in the United States," coach Bruce Arena said. "However, this World Cup is not over. We've got to prepare for Korea, and our goal is to win that game."

While players were overjoyed after the opening game, they tried to keep their cool, knowing a lot of work remains. On Monday they play co-host South Korea, which upset Poland 2-0 Tuesday. The Americans then play the Poles, a tough, physical lot.

But on Wednesday night, it seemed as if anything was possible.

The Americans took a 3-0 lead in the first 36 minutes, despite the absence of Claudio Reyna, their best player, and Clint Mathis, their most imaginative attacker, because of injuries.

Using speed and a relentless attack, they got goals from John O'Brien on a rebound and Brian McBride on a brilliant header off a cross from Tony Sanneh. They also got a lucky bounce when a cross by Landon Donovan deflected off a Portuguese defender and into the net for the second goal.

A fist-pumping Arena had to be grabbed by an assistant to keep from running on the field after his team took a 2-0 lead. The U.S. players couldn't believe it.

"I was stunned," Donovan said.

After the final whistle, U.S. players jumped up and down in the corner nearest the several hundred members of Sam's Army.

Meanwhile, the shock waves of what happened on a misty night in this suburb 30 miles outside Seoul reverberated around the globe.

"It's at these moments that great teams show what fiber they're made of," Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Durao Barroso said, blaming the defeat on "bad luck" and predicting his nation would have tied the game if it had lasted 15 minutes longer.