Columnist Steve Carp: U.S. gets to bask in glow of victory

Steve Carp

Thursday, Feb. 12, 1998 | 12:09 p.m.

THE REMOTE WAS in high gear Tuesday night, as is usually the case on Tuesdays.

Sorry, Dave McCann, but just because Channel 8 has the Winter Olympics doesn't mean all of us are locking on and watching women's biathlon. From this couch potato's perspective, something better had to be on the tube until the nightly Hawaii Five-O rerun comes on The Family Channel at 10 o'clock.

By the way, what's The Family Channel doing airing a violent show such as Hawaii Five-O anyway? (I'll leave that one to Steve Bornfeld, the SUN's TV critic, to answer.)

Anyway, the channel surfing was under way. And just as it appeared it was coming down to seeing "Rivera Live" or "Did Rommel really commit suicide?" another alternative appeared on Channel 9.

There was a soccer game being televised, in Spanish no less. But this wasn't any ordinary Mexican League Sunday match. This was Brazil vs. the United States. And while it may not have been the World Cup, it was more compelling than cross country skiing.

What made it more compelling still was the Americans actually were winning. A goal from an indoor soccer refugee named Preki had the U.S. ahead 1-0. And when the final whistle blew, guess what the score was?

U.S. 1, Brazil 0.

Of course, here in the States, it got put in the back of most newspapers. Only the true soccer fan fully grasped what had happened on the soggy pitch of the Los Angeles Coliseum.

For the first time in any kind of soccer match, the Americans had beaten the mighty Brazilians. And for the first time since the Depression -- 1930 to be exact -- the U.S. scored a goal against Brazil.

To put it in perspective for you non-soccer types, consider a team of Brazilian football players beating the Green Bay Packers, even though the Packers gave Brett Favre and Reggie White the day off.

Incomprehensible, you say? Exactly.

Yes, Brazil was missing six of its regulars, including star forward Ronaldo. But it wasn't fathomable to believe the Americans had closed the gap that quickly, especially after being dominated at Stanford Stadium by the Brazilians in the second round of the 1994 World Cup.

Tuesday's result is proof that the gap has indeed been narrowed. At the very least, the Americans have showed they are capable of sharing the stage with one of the world's best sides. And if the stars are all in alignment and the breaks go their way, the U.S. can beat the best, even if the best isn't at its best.

Think about this: The 1998 World Cup in France is just four months away. The Americans open against the other great world soccer power, Germany. Surely if the U.S. can beat a makeshift Brazil, it can compete without fear against the mighty Germans.

Perhaps it was lost in the lack of hype since the World Cup is still down the road. But for American soccer, this was a historic evening, one that should have the nation's fans bursting with joy as much as the result has the millions of Brazilian fans weeping tears of dismay.