Now, President Barack Obama has more reason than ever to visit South Africa.

Having agreed to attend the opening game of soccer’s 2010 World Cup, if possible, the president might want to consider a much earlier trip.

Say on Sunday, for instance.

That’s when the United States will be playing in the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup in Johannesburg, the U.S. having reached the championship game by scoring one of international soccer’s all-time upsets on Wednesday night.

Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey scored goals and the defense bordered on the miraculous to earn the Americans a 2-0 victory over European champion Spain before a crowd of 35,369 at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

That’s the same Spain that is ranked No. 1 in the world, the same Spain that had gone unbeaten in a world-record-tying 35 games, the same Spain that had won a world-record 15 games in a row.

It was a watershed moment for the United States, signaling the team’s arrival on the world soccer stage.

In Sunday’s final, the suddenly high-flying Americans will play the winner of Thursday’s semifinal between Brazil and South Africa.

“I can’t explain it any more than you can,” U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard told reporters. “Sports is funny sometimes, but when you put your mind to something, you can achieve it.”

The U.S. put mind, body and everything else into the colossal upset.

“To beat an amazing team like Spain and make the final, it’s big,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. “We played as hard as we could and that’s what it took.”

The opening goal Wednesday came in the 27th minute in near-freezing conditions, when Altidore, 19, used his physical strength to hold off the challenge of defender Joan Capdevila, turned and fired a shot off goalkeeper Iker Casillas that rebounded into the net.

Spain, spearheaded by David Villa and Fernando Torres, two of the most lethal forwards in the world, mounted wave after wave of attacks, but the U.S. packed its defense and held firm.

Spain outshot the U.S. 18-9, including 8-2 in shots on target, and also had 17 corner kicks to three for the U.S., but it was thwarted by a resistance seldom seen from an American squad.

Dempsey scored the killer blow in the 74th minute from close range.
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Ex-Florida Gator Reche Caldwell runs through passing drills at the United Football League ‘combine’ Saturday at Florida Citrus Bowl. (STEPHEN M. DOWELL/ORLANDO SENTINEL) (June 9, 2009)

When the subject of the United Football League surfaces, the only thing most everyone wants to know is if this thing is going to fly.

But if you listen to anyone involved with the UFL, they are quick to erase any doubtful thinking and litter the conversation with optimism ala a Barack Obama campaign speech. UFL officials not only plan to kick this league off in October, but to also do things the right way.

“It’s not going to be some kind of slappy league to the point where we’re just throwing something out here,” said former NFL quarterback Quinn Gray, a former Jacksonville Jaguars backup to Byron Leftwich and most recently David Garrard.

“The commissioner is going to put out the best talent. You’ve got a bunch of former NFL players, a bunch of former NFL coaches, and so it’s going to be a competitive league,”

Gray, 30, a former star at Florida A&M, was on hand Saturday as 52 free agents showed up at the Florida Citrus Bowl for a combine-type workout.

Orlando is one of four franchises in the inaugural season, along with San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York. And unless Michael Vick remains suspended from the NFL and ends up in the UFL, Gray could be the leading candidate as Orlando’s quarterback.

Regionality will play a big part in the league’s placement of players and Gray relishes the idea that he may wind up back in the Citrus Bowl where he took part in some great Florida Classic battles with Bethune-Cookman.

“The city of Orlando, they’ve been yearning for a team for years, regardless of what it is,” Gray said. “They had the Arena team and they’ve got the bowl games and of course the Florida Classic, so Orlando is going to be a great place for this team.

“The more guys from Florida A&M, Florida State, Florida — guys from this area … who are on this Orlando team is just going to bring more fans.”

Former Florida Gator and recent NFL castoff Reche Caldwell was another player working out Saturday.

“I played college here … I played here [Florida] my whole life until I got to the NFL,” said Caldwell, 30, a Tampa native, “so it will definitely be a great opportunity for everybody to come see me play if I get a chance to play here.”
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CHICAGO — Organizers of Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics hammered on history Monday, telling an International Olympic Committee team the city’s commitment to the environment and accessibility emerged long before its push for the games.

Organizers noted they are not allowed to contrast what competing bid cities Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid are doing, but stressed during a media briefing that they’re highlighting Chicago’s leadership in both areas.

IOC inspectors learned that the city dates its environmental efforts back a century to architect and planner Daniel Burnham, whose 1909 master plan called for an entirely open and accessible lakefront. Organizers then fast-forwarded to Mayor Richard Daley, who they called a longtime proponent of green construction, rooftop gardens and other environmental initiatives.

“Mayor Daley is proving that big cities around the world can truly exist in harmony with nature,” Suzanne Malec-McKenna, commissioner with the city’s Department of Environment told the briefing.

Chicago is the first stop on the IOC inspection tour and as organizers in other cities will certainly do, they pulled out the heaviest of heavy hitters to offer their support.

Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to President Barack Obama, addressed the IOC team in person Monday, while Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared via video.

Jarrett promised that the White House would set up an office to provide support for the games and oversee a host of federal agencies, the first time the White House has done so before the final selection of a host city, organizers said.

Clinton said the government will make sure the customs and immigration process will be streamlined so athletes and other visitors will have no trouble getting to the games.

Organizers also touted Chicago’s numerous innovations. For example, the IOC learned about a plan for 100 percent of the games’ energy to come from renewable sources. And there were the proposed “energy generating floor tiles” that the bid’s literature touts as harnessing people’s steps into energy.

But organizers also acknowledged a lot of details haven’t been worked out.

“The renewable energy we would use has not been determined,” because the games are years away, said Robert Accarino, the bid’s director of environment.

Although it remains unknown exactly how IOC members are responding to Chicago’s presentation — members are not talking to the media until Tuesday and organizers have declined to discuss what questions they’re asking — Accarino gave one small hint about their possible concerns.

He suggested Chicago 2016 had to dispel misconceptions about the Chicago’s air quality that he said were based on outdated IOC research.

“We provided detailed information about the 10-year history of air quality and projections of air quality to 2016,” he said.

Chicago’s accessibility took center stage during a Paralympic Games presentation.

“Because of the commitment to accessibility features, there is very little that needs to be done to the city itself,” said Linda Mastandrea, Chicago 2016’s Director of Paralympic Sport and Accessibility.

Mastandrea said she told the IOC that the Paralympic Games budget is $188 million — double that of the Atlanta Games of 1996.

A much-discussed component of Chicago’s bid is that most of the events will be held within walking distance or a short drive of each other, the proposed Olympic Village and cultural destinations — but there is one notable exception.

Bicycle road racing would be held in Madison, Wis. and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle came to Chicago on Monday to tell IOC members that the route is “spectacular.” He said it’s also close to Chicago, and may soon be getting closer.

Doyle said he told the IOC team he is confident that part of the federal economic stimulus package will include funding for a high-speed rail system connecting Chicago to Milwaukee and Milwaukee to Madison.

“We would fully expect that by 2016 that people would be able to get on good modern passenger rail [system] moving at much higher speeds than we’re accustomed to in the United States,” Doyle said.

He said he expects a trip from Madison to Chicago would take only about two hours.

Sourced via espn.go.com

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