NOW, LET’S GET THIS!
U.S.A. rolls on as Cup fever sweeps nation We play Belgium Tuesday just four wins from glory
EVEN THE LOSERS — not to mention their heir red, white and blue fans — get lucky somemetimes.
U.S. soccer fans citywide improbably celeele- brated their team’s 1-0 defeat to mighty Germany after the Americans still advanced d in the World Cup despite the lunchtime loss.
“I’m ecstatic right now,” said Jason Joseph, 24, of Fort Greene, Brooklyn. “I’m so happy that we move to the next round. We didn’t get a goal, but go U.S.A.!
“It’s all about what you do in the next game.”
The defeat, coupled with Portugal’s 2-1 triumph over Ghana, boosted the U.S. into the knockout phase of the tournament. The Americans take on Belgium on Tuesday, with the loser heading home.
Spirits were hardly dampened Thursday by either the steady downpour in Brazil or the Americans’ inability to score over 90-plus nail-biting minutes.
“We still made it to next round,” said Nicolas Calo, 18, who joined a crowd in Brooklyn’s DUMBO for the game. “(The loss) is not that important now. We just got to look towards the future.”
Jorie Grant, 26, of Long Valley, N.J., shrugged off the shutout where the Americans had few scoring chances until the waning seconds of the second half.
“We’re still in the top 16,” said a stoked Grant. “So for me, mission accomplished. I’m super-pumped!”
It marked the first time the U.S. reached the knockout ruound in consecutive World Cups.
About 200 people turned out for a Bryant Park viewing party, where U.S. fans mingled with a few German tourists — like Hans Cox, 50, of Dusseldorf.
After predicting the Germans would win the World Cup, Cox offered a backhanded compliment to the losing U.S. fans.
“They’re really strong, and they believe in success,” said Cox. “But they had no chance.”
Many in the crowd wore the No. 8 jersey of U.S. star Clint Dempsey — including quintessential soccer couple Daniel Vernik, 30, and Lysanne Loucel, 34.
“You have to be happy that we made it this far,” said Vernik, who came up from the Jersey Shore.
Some fans never left New Jersey, instead flocking to the North Brunswick Pub in goalkeeper Tim Howard’s hometown.
“T-Ho! T-Ho!” chanted fans — including longtime Howard pals Stephanie Romanko and Jo Palmer.
“He always plays well, so that helps,” said Romanko.
The crowd, almost as one, held their heads in anguish once Germany’s Thomas Mueller beat Howard for the game’s lone goal.
Commuters coming across the George Washington Bridge were greeted by a huge Am American flag suspended above its lanes, and revelers in Brooklyn were decked out in red red, white and blue.
““There’s so much American spirit all over the place — jerseys, American flags, everythin thing!” said an enthusiastic Allison Smealey, 20, of Belford, N.J.
S Soccer fan Scott Hartley, visiting from Cal California, said the Americans accomplis plished something by simply surviving their diff difficult group of powerful teams from Germa many, Ghana and Portugal.
““I feel amazing,” the 30-year-old Hartley said after the loss. “I think the fact that we made it out of the ‘ Group of Death’ is an achievement in and of itself.”
Tomas Tapanes, 39, came to Bryant Park with three family members — all wearing Dempsey jerseys. With the teams tied 0-0 at the half, he was very optimistic — as was 16-year-old Owen Marsh.
“If you told me at the start of the World Cup that the U.S. was going to be tied with Germany at halftime, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he said.
Ten minutes into the second half, the Germans took the lead and the Americans mounted little subsequent offense. The victory launched Germany into the next round as well.
President Obama, who watched the match while aboard Air Force One, told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that the U.S. team had gone from being a “nonfactor” to being a “middle-of-the-pack” team.
“We’re not Germany yet or Italy or France or Argentina or Brazil,” he said. “But we’re now in the mix.” While most fans across New York City were cheering for the Americans, there were pockets of support for the German squad.
The German bar Zum Schneider’s in the East Village relocated to a bigger outdoor space on East 23rd St., with the owners welcoming hundreds of fans for both teams. Chants of “U.S.A.!” were sometimes drowned out by shouts of “Deut
schland!” in the now-friendly rivalry.