REMARKABLE
lot of bubble guys and surprises, and this was really pretty clear.”
Hejduk also described the United States as one of the fittest teams in the World Cup and, perhaps more important, a team with nothing to lose. Both characteristics were on display in a 3-2 stunner over Portugal to open group play.
“After the game, was it kind of like we had just won the World Cup? A little bit, but not really,” Hejduk said. “I know Bruce was smiling. He said, ‘Crack open a beer, then we’ll get ready for the next game.’ ”
The United States tied host country South Korea 1-1 and tempted fate four days later with a 3-1 loss to Poland. The Portugal-South Korea game was played simultaneously, creating some nervy moments until Ji-sung Park scored the go-ahead goal for South Korea in the 70th minute, helping send the U.S. to the round of 16.
Hejduk picked up his second yellow card in the loss to Poland, forcing him to sit out the round of 16 matchup against Mexico. Meanwhile, Wolff made his first start of the World Cup, as did Berhalter in place of an injured Jeff Agoos.
Wolff had previous success against Mexico, scoring against El Tri in a 2000 friendly and in a 2001 World Cup qualifier at Crew Stadium. In the World Cup knockout round matchup, he set up the first goal in the eighth minute, passing back to former Crew star Brian McBride, who scored the first goal of what became a 2-0 victory that sent the United States to the quarterfinals.
“I probably had a little bit to do with it, but Brian had a lot to do with it,” Wolff said. “The quality of the finish was perfect.”
In the days leading up to a quarterfinal matchup with Germany, Hejduk remembers feeling amped as opposed to nervous.
“The game was not drop-and-counter against Germany," he said. "We were gonna go get it.”
Germany scored when Michael Ballack headed in a set piece goal in the 39th minute, but the U.S. had several chances to equalize, the best and most famous of which involved Berhalter. Claudio Reyna, Berhalter’s former high school teammate, curled in a corner kick in the 50th minute, which was flicked onto Berhalter.
"I just gambled and ran into space,” Berhalter said.
His left leg in the air, Berhalter made contact with the ball, which bounced off the outstretched left hand of German midfielder Torsten Frings before falling in front of the goal line, where goalkeeper Oliver Kahn collected it.
A hand ball was not called and several U.S. players ran to Scottish referee Hugh Dallas in protest.
Berhalter made several unsuccessful attempts to kick the ball free from Kahn.
Berhalter said he has spoken with Frings about the play, as the two played against each other in Germany. A spokesman for SV Darmstadt 98, the German team Frings now coaches, declined to make Frings available for comment.
“He did what any player in his position would do,” Berhalter said of Frings. “You put your hand out, you stop the ball from going in and you hope they don’t see it.”
Looking back on the game, Berhalter instead takes issue with Dallas, now a referee officer with UEFA.
“I felt like the referee didn’t want us to win the game because of his demeanor and his attitude and his communication with us,” Berhalter said. “He almost talked down to us, and that was annoying.
“He’s from the United Kingdom, supposedly the birthplace of soccer, and none of his teams are in it anymore and the U.S. is there. It’s not a nice thing to say because it’s pure speculation, but just based on his behavior in the game, I thought that.”
UEFA did not return a message seeking comment from Dallas. Berhalter said he has not seen Dallas since the 2002 World Cup.
Said Hejduk: “It was just one of those situations where we were on the wrong side.”
Wolff agreed the no-call was unfortunate and a game-changing moment, but he left the Germany game feeling like the national team “represented what we were about.”
A run came to an end on June 21, 2002, in Ulsan, South Korea, but it’s one that no U.S. national team has matched in three World Cups since.
“That year was a magical year,” Hejduk said. “We had a magical mix of dudes who were fighters, warriors, friends and just cool people.”
The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to trade point guard D'Angelo Russell and high- priced center Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for big man Brook Lopez and the 27th overall pick in the upcoming draft, three people with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press.
The Lakers' new front office led by Magic Johnson has decided to give up on Russell, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft out of Ohio State.
He averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 assists last season while Los Angeles struggled to its fourth consecutive losing record.
The deal all but confirms Los Angeles will select UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the draft Thursday, adding the gifted playmaker to run coach Luke Walton's up- tempo offense.
The Lakers also appear to be sacrificing Russell to clear the salary cap space eaten up by the final three seasons of the four- year, $ 64 million contract given to Mozgov by the previous front office.
The move allows the Lakers to clear more than $ 20 million of salary- cap space for the summer of 2018.
The Lakers now have enough space for two max contracts in a free agency summer that will include Paul George, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James.
The Nets will get a clear talent in Russell, who showed flashes of greatness on a pair of lousy teams.
Russell also struggled in stretches but remained a dangerous scorer and improved his playmaking under Walton in his first season.