How big was that for the image of American soccer around the world?

American players individually have been accepted as ready for the big time; witness the number who play on teams all over Europe. But the U.S. team has been regarded as good enough to beat Mexico or Poland or Saudi Arabia any time, but not to seriously challenge the real powers - Brazil, Argentina, England, Italy, Holland, Germany, etc.

And that theory was holding up through the first round of the Confederations Cup, with a 3-1 loss to Italy and a 3-0 blowout by Brazil. But the 3-0 win over Egypt, a good team that had lost to Brazil, 4-3, and had beaten the Italians, 1-0, coupled with Italy's 3-0 embarrassment by Brazil on Sunday, sent the Americans off to face Spain, which was riding a 15-game international winning streak and a 35-game unbeaten streak.

It would be more of the same . . . fall behind early, leave the goalkeeper stranded, lose by two or three goals.

But after Jozy Altidore, under contract with Villareal in Spain's La Liga, scored by pushing Villareal teammate Juan Capdevila off the ball and beating goalie Iker Casillas in the 27th minute, the Spaniards had to play the unfamiliar game of catch-up. The American defenders crowded Spain's high-powered shooters, who got few clean shots to challenge goalie Tim Howard.

While everyone has been waiting for Freddy Adu to become the American Pele, the 19-year-old Altidore, born in Livingston, N.J., has stepped up and has now scored seven goals in 15 games with the national team.

And when Clint Dempsey, already established as a reliable scorer for Fulham in the Premier League, knocked down Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos to get to a ball and scored a second goal with 16 minutes to play, U.S. soccer had clinched its biggest international win since the 1-0 upset of England in the 1950 World Cup.

Forget World Cup wins over Colombia (1994) and Portugal (2002) and a Gold Cup upset of Brazil (1998). None of those teams matched the lineup Spain had on the field yesterday.

"I can't explain it," Howard, the Rutgers graduate who plays for Everton in Liverpool, told the Associated Press. "Sports is funny sometimes, but when you put your mind to something you can achieve it."

"It's exciting, a great team effort," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "To beat an amazing team like Spain and make the final, it's big. We played as hard as we could and that's what it took. Every guy contributed."

Altidore had apparently sent a warning to Capdevila in a text message a few days before the game.

"He told me that we had to be careful," Capdevila said. "But his Spanish is not so great, so I think he made a mistake."

The U.S. will play the winner of today's Brazil-South Africa game on Sunday (2:25 p.m., ESPN2) for the championship of the Confederations Cup, which includes the six continental champions, the World Cup champ (Italy), and the host country (South Africa).

And until then, "Sky Sports" can get back to reporting on those transfers (who will replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Man. U.; will Didier Drogba leave Chelsea), and, of course, the Ashes. *