New entry in shock hit parade

Published on Thursday 25 June 2009 22:20

THE United States' 2-0 victory over European champions Spain in the Confederations Cup semi-finals on Wednesday earned a place on the list of great international upsets.

FIFA's own website, www.fifa.com, posed the question: "Is this the greatest upset ever in a FIFA competition?" It left the answer open, but the result ranks alongside the United States' 1-0 victory over England in the 1950 World Cup finals and North Korea's 1-0 win over Italy in the 1966 World Cup finals, Cameroon's 1-0 win over then world champions Argentina in the opening match of the 1990 World Cup and Senegal's 1-0 victory over then world champions France in the 2002 World Cup finals.

Denmark's astonishing success in the 1992 European championship, when they won the tournament in Sweden a few weeks after reassembling from their holidays and being given a place in the finals when Yugoslavia were disqualified, also takes its place as does Greece's win in Euro 2004 when they started the tournament as outsiders.