Never before had the U.S. men won an elimination-round game at the World Cup. Against its North American rivals, Bruce Arena's team used a new lineup and several players with limited finals experience to gain passage.
BEST PLAYER. Landon Donovan played in his fourth position in four games and had his best game of the tournament in the 2-0 win over Mexico in the round of 16 at the World Cup.
He started up front against Portugal, played on the right side of midfield against South Korea, moved to the left against Poland and played as the attacking midfielder against Mexico.
Donovan's main responsibility, though, was to shadow midfield dynamo Gerardo Torrado.
''He had been free to do what he liked,'' Arena said of Mexico's 22-year-old central midfielder. ''Landon's fitness is a factor. We put our fittest players in the game. In training in May, Landon, Chris Armas and Frankie Hejduk were head and shoulders above anyone else.''
During Mexican possessions, however, Donovan's quickness and aggressiveness blunted Torrado's efforts. Donovan scored his second goal of the tournament with a header in the 65th minute that decided the game.
''Landon had a great game,'' said Arena.
TURNING POINT. For the third time in four U.S. games, there was a goal within the first 10 minutes – and the team that took the lead won each time.
And as has happened so many times in games at this tournament, the first U.S. goal against Mexico came on a quick restart.
The United States had little of the ball until Brian McBride was fouled in midfield. McBride put the ball down for Claudio Reyna, who raced up the right side and centered the ball to Josh Wolff, who touched to McBride for the first goal.
The United States scored on a John O'Brien goal in the fourth minute against Portugal and won, 3-2.
Poland scored in the third and fifth minutes to dig a deep hole for the Americans in their third game.
THE CHANGES. Arena made four changes for the Mexico game, introducing a 3-5-2 formation to limit the Mexican attack.
Gregg Berhalter took over on the left side of a three-man backline for Jeff Agoos, out for the tournament with a calf strain. With Frankie Hejduk suspended, Arena went without a left back.
Josh Wolff, who scored the winning goal in the 2-0 win over Mexico in World Cup qualifying, got his first start, in place of Clint Mathis.
The big changes were in midfield, where John O'Brien and Pablo Mastroeni were reunited in the middle.
Reyna was moved to the right in place of Earnie Stewart. Eddie Lewis got his first start on the left, and Donovan moved to the middle of midfield.
With O'Brien and Mastroeni behind him, Donovan functioned much as a true playmaker when the U.S. had the ball.
Reyna's job was to shut down Ramon Morales.
Morales was so ineffective he was pulled off for Luis Hernandez in the 27th minute. But Hernandez was only marginally more effective, and the extent to which he has slowed down was clear when O'Brien easily ran him down to strip the ball away.
Lewis had to mark right winger Jesus Arellano.
''[Arena] said he had been Mexico's best attacking player, and he said my legs were fresh,'' said Lewis. ''[Arena] said any attacking would be a bonus.''
THE PUNCH. Conspiracy theories abounded when Portuguese referee Vitor Melo Parreira was selected to officiate. A loss to the U.S. paved the way for Portugal's first-round elimination.
''I have a lot more important things to worry about than referee assignments,'' said Arena before the game.
Parreira was busy. He handed out 10 cautions, several for time-wasting and other minor offenses, and sent off young Mexican captain Rafael Marquez for a wild challenge.
He failed to see a sly punched clearance by O'Brien, who got his fist to a ball just as Cuauhtemoc Blanco was about to head it.
The Mexicans were livid when they saw the replay on the screen.
''It was a freak play,'' said O'Brien. ''It was a situation where you're trying to mark your man and someone comes up underneath you and hits your arm. I didn't do it on purpose.''
The view from Friedel's perspective ''Great header,'' he said with a wink.
THE CALL. On the morning of the USA-Mexico game, President George W. Bush called Arena and his team to wish them luck.
''The country's really pulling for the team,'' Bush said. ''A lot of people who don't really know anything about soccer, like me, are excited and pulling for you.''
Before his call to Arena, Bush talked with Mexico President Vicente Fox, a close friend.
''I haven't declared victory yet,'' Bush said, ''but I'm feeling pretty confident.''
PLAYING TIME. Lewis made his second appearance for the United States in the World Cup, one more than he got for Fulham in the English Premier League last season.
''Hopefully, he was watching,'' Lewis said of Fulham's French manager Jean Tigana.
After a moment, Lewis added, ''He might have turned the television off after what happened to his country.''
HISTORY. The victory over Mexico marked the first time the United States has won a game in the second round of the World Cup.
It lost to Argentina, 6-1, in the semifinals of the 1930 World Cup, and to Brazil, 1-0, in the round of 16 in the 1994 World Cup.
by Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney