When Lightning Struck Twice

On This Day in 1998, Americans Shock World Champions 1-0 Behind Keller's Heroics and Another Match-Winner From Distance

The semifinal draw had delivered exactly what Steve Sampson's squad both craved and feared: Brazil.

After defeating Costa Rica 2-1 on Saturday to claim first place in Group C, the Americans knew their reward would be a date with the defending World Cup champions at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Brazilians had stumbled through group play—draws against Jamaica and Guatemala sparked withering criticism back home—but rebounded with a 4-0 demolition of El Salvador to advance as Group A runners-up. Now they stood between the United States and its first Gold Cup final.

The all-time series told a grim tale: eight matches, eight Brazilian victories, a combined score of 19-0 since the teams' last meeting in 1930. More painful still was the recent history—four consecutive tournament eliminations, each by a single goal. Brazil had knocked the Americans out of the 1993 U.S. Cup, the 1994 World Cup round of 16 at Stanford Stadium, the 1995 Copa America semifinals and the 1996 Gold Cup semifinals at this very venue. The pattern was maddeningly consistent: tight matches, resolute American defending, one Brazilian moment of brilliance, elimination.

The Brazilians arrived without roughly half their first-choice squad, including Ronaldo, the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year. But their lineup still featured Romario, the 1994 World Cup Golden Ball winner whose predatory instincts had tormented American defenders for years. Alongside him were Edmundo, the temperamental striker known as "O Animal," and a supporting cast of technical wizards who'd won the ultimate prize just miles away at the Rose Bowl four years earlier.

The Americans would be without Claudio Reyna, sidelined by a groin strain, but gained the crucial return of Kasey Keller. The Leicester City goalkeeper had rejoined the team just two days earlier, fresh off consecutive Premier League shutouts against Leeds, Manchester United, and Liverpool. Brad Friedel, who'd posted back-to-back clean sheets in group play, returned to his backup role at Liverpool. For a match of this magnitude, Sampson wanted his established number one between the posts.

Heavy rain had battered Southern California all week, contributing to a dismal turnout at the cavernous Coliseum. Only 12,298 fans were scattered throughout the stadium on the night of February 10, many wearing Mexican colors in anticipation of Thursday's semifinal. The field, waterlogged and treacherous, looked more suitable for American football than the beautiful game.

The opening 15 minutes were tentative, both teams probing without conviction. Then Romario reminded everyone why he'd been the world's most feared striker just four years prior. In the 11th minute, Eddie Pope's errant pass sent the Brazilian clear. Keller dove to his left, smothering the shot with strong hands.

Two minutes later, the pattern that would define the night began to crystallize. Romario found space again, this time forcing Keller into a reaction save from close range. The goalkeeper, jet-lagged and still adjusting to the Pacific time zone, began to find his rhythm.

The 24th minute brought the save that announced Keller's intentions. Zinho's perfectly weighted pass caught Lalas flat-footed, and Romario surged into the penalty area with only the goalkeeper to beat. The crowd held its breath. Keller held his ground, then dove to his right, clutching the shot at the near post with both hands. Romario, accustomed to such chances finding the net, could only shake his head. Seven minutes later, Edmundo slipped Romario through again. Again, Keller denied him from close range.

At the other end, the Americans struggled to create anything that resembled danger. Brazil's technical superiority and comfort in possession limited the United States to desperate clearances and hopeful long balls. Eric Wynalda managed the only American shot on target in the 15th minute—a tame effort that Claudio Taffarel gathered routinely. Pope's glancing header from a Joe-Max Moore corner sailed well wide.

The 41st minute produced what many considered the save of the match. A pinpoint cross found Romario unmarked just four yards from the goal. His header, perfectly placed and powerfully struck, seemed destined for the net. Keller, reading the flight impossibly well, threw himself upward and clutched the ball from the air. The brilliance of the stop prompted Romario to pause and extend his hand in congratulation—a gesture of professional respect rarely seen on a soccer pitch.

By halftime, Brazil had outshot the Americans 13-3. Keller had made seven saves, several bordering on the stunning. The United States, tactically sound but toothless in attack, had survived. Barely. Brazil emerged from the interval with renewed intensity. Flavio da Conceição's effort from inside the penalty area in the 47th minute rolled just wide. The Brazilians sensed blood, pressing higher, committed to breaking through the wall that was Kasey Keller.

John Harkes fashioned the Americans' first second-half chance in the 56th minute, but his shot flew high and wide. Four minutes later, Sampson made the substitution that would alter history. Preki Radosavljevic entered for Roy Wegerle. Five minutes after stepping onto the field, with his very first touch, Preki delivered again. Wynalda drove up the left flank and cut inside, finding the Serbian-born midfielder in the center of the field approximately 22 yards from goal. Preki feinted right, causing Junior—Brazil's experienced defender—to shift his weight. Then he whirled left, took two touches to create separation, and unleashed his left foot.

The shot screamed toward the near post, a missile of precision and power. Taffarel, the 1994 World Cup winner, launched himself through the air. Too late. The ball bulged the net just inside the upright. The American bench erupted, sprinting toward the sideline where Preki disappeared beneath a pile of delirious teammates. The modest crowd found its voice, chanting "USA! USA!" as the impossible suddenly seemed within reach.

"It feels great," Preki said afterward with characteristic understatement. "To come off the bench and score against a team like Brazil is great." He also said, "It was just one of those things. It was my first touch. I had one chance, and I put it away."

For Sampson, the moment vindicated not just a tactical decision but an entire roster philosophy. The 34-year-old who'd become a U.S. citizen 15 months earlier, who'd won MLS MVP honors with Kansas City, who'd scored the winner against Costa Rica three days prior—this was precisely why Preki wore the jersey.

Brazil, stung and desperate, threw everything forward. The final 25 minutes became an extended siege on Keller's goal. Romario, denied repeatedly in the first half, found himself denied again in the 78th minute when Keller made yet another crucial save. Two minutes later came the moment that nearly shattered American hearts. Edmundo delivered a surgical through ball that caught the defense sleeping. Romario, alone with acres of space, charged toward an empty net as Keller rushed out to challenge. The shot rolled wide. The Coliseum exhaled.

Romario shot wide again in the 83rd minute. Three minutes later, Elber de Souza forced Keller into a diving, one-handed save that preserved the lead and the dream.

When Chilean referee Claudio Puga blew the final whistle, the American bench sprinted onto the field to engulf players who'd just made history. The fans who'd weathered the damp conditions stayed in their seats, chanting and applauding as Keller and Preki conducted television interviews before disappearing down the tunnel.

United States 1, Brazil 0. The first victory in nine all-time meetings. The first goal against Brazil in nearly seven decades. The sixth consecutive American win—a national team record. A nine-game unbeaten streak that tied the all-time mark. "This is one of the four top results in U.S. soccer history," Sampson declared. "It couldn't have happened without phenomenal goalkeeping by Keller and a terrific strike by Radosavljevic," the coach said.

Keller, who made 10 saves, deflected credit while acknowledging the magnitude of the achievement. "There's a lot of times when you make one or two saves to keep your team in the game, but to make three or four is rare. We definitely had a little luck," he said. "They weren't the strongest that we've seen them, but that doesn't take away from our performance tonight. It helps give us a lot of respect coming into the World Cup."

The victory propelled the United States into Sunday's Gold Cup final against Mexico. For American soccer, the result resonated far beyond tournament standings. The upset of Colombia at the 1994 World Cup had announced arrival; this confirmed credibility. Four months before returning to the World Cup stage in France, the Americans had beaten the world champions—proof that the foundation built over a decade of investment and development could produce moments that mattered. The euphoria lasted five days.

Mexico's 91,225 partisan supporters—plus another 6,942 packed into the adjacent Los Angeles Arena watching on closed-circuit television—turned the Coliseum into a deafening cauldron of green, white, and red on Sunday afternoon. The United States would have to navigate one final hurdle to claim the Gold Cup. Luis Hernández, who'd eliminated Jamaica with a golden goal in the semifinals, delivered the decisive blow late in the first half. The Mexican striker dispossessed Lalas just outside the penalty area in the 43rd minute, played a quick combination through Javier Lozano and Salvador Carmona, then darted in front of his marker to head Carmona's fierce cross past Keller.

The Americans created chances—Pope's headers from corner kicks in the 25th and 33rd minutes nearly leveled the match, the second cleared off the line by German Villa—but Mexico's superior finishing in the final third proved decisive. Preki, inserted at halftime in search of more magic, nearly conjured it when his snap shot in the 54th minute flew inches wide. Moments later, his dipping volley whistled over the crossbar after Cobi Jones and Moore had efforts blocked. But there would be no third consecutive Preki winner, no fairy-tale ending to cap the tournament run.

Mexico claimed its third straight Gold Cup title with the 1-0 victory. The Americans departed Los Angeles with silver medals and something more valuable: momentum. They'd won six of seven matches and—most importantly—beaten the world champions. The loss stung, but France beckoned in four months. Sampson's squad boarded their flights knowing they'd proven something crucial: they belonged. Whatever awaited them at the World Cup, they'd face it with the confidence that comes from beating Brazil when it mattered most. The tournament was over. The real test was just beginning.