USA lose 1-0 to Germany in their quarter-final clash, but go down fighting.
Have they done their country proud?
This debate is now closed. A selection of your e-mails appear below.
The Germans won the game luckily. I bet the USA could have gone to the final if they had a little bit of luck.
People talk about the USA doing well in 2006 but I am worried about their chances. In Germany all of the European teams will have much more crowd support that they have had in Asia. The fact that their support was missing spelled trouble for many European teams this time around. We shouldn't expect to see quite as many "upsets" because the games between Europe and the "rest of the world" will not be played out on neutral ground. I hope that I'm wrong...
Congratulations USA on a great World Cup. Here's hoping the US becomes a major player in the near future - it can only be good for the sport.
The eagle has landed. The USA has made a performance on the world stage. They will only get better until they win the World Cup.
Gavin, London, UK
Mark McClendon, USA
I am very proud of our lads. They played with skill and courage and they have earned the respect of the sporting world with their effort and with their grace in defeat. Team U.S.A we are honoured to have you represent us.
Steve Legas, US
I'm certainly proud that the USA team advanced to the final eight. But I also have a feeling that we might have missed an incredible opportunity to advance to the Final of this Cup, an opportunity that might not come our way again in this generation.
We were certainly the equal of Germany and South Korea, if not their superior. The more I watch of this cup, the more I am convinced that the USA were in a position to advance further, and were somewhat unlucky not to do so.
I thought that the USA dominated the game, but Kahn showed why he is the best goal keeper in the world. The US made me proud and I can't wait to see them win in 2006!
The luck was all Germany's, especially the bad no call of a penalty by Hugh Dallas. I keep reading about intent and ball to hand. Well what player in his right mind would move his hand out of the way?
Do you think the German players would have any kind of argument had a penalty been called in that situation? Only a mind reader would know what the players intent was. There would be no controversy had a penalty been called.
Cregan Cooke, USA / UK
I would have loved for our team to make the semis - or even to have pushed Germany to extra time to eliminate us. In the end, however, we came away with something that US soccer desperately needed - international credibility.
The game against Germany held a couple of valuable lessons for the US. 1) You have to play perfect defence for 90 minutes against a team like Germany. 2) You still need a little luck! I think that Hugh Dallas could have justified a handling call but that isn't the way he saw it. Klose's header to the post could have made it irrelevant. We had chances that we couldn't convert. In the end, the difference was Kahn.
I'm immensely proud of the US team. They held together after a drubbing by Poland; played the game they had to to beat Mexico, took the game to Germany and showed some class in defeat. If you had asked me a month ago, I couldn't have asked for more!
Brent C, USA
The Americans should stop whingeing about 'handball' and cast their minds back to their previous match. Correct me if I'm wrong but what appeared to be a quite deliberate handball offence (punched off the line) went completely unpunished.
Germany won the game by converting their chances. USA lost because they couldn't convert their chances. It was a clear case of ball-to-hand and an English linesman and Scottish referee made good calls. Well done USA, well done Germany for getting this far in a competition when many expected you to fail (or not even qualify!)
The USA team definitely represented their country well in the game. The fact that there was only one goal all game, speaks volumes of the effort and gusto that the USA team put into the game. That loss was more of a win than many people will realize.
I've been following soccer since the '94 World Cup, and our game against Germany was by far the happiest time I've had watching our national team. We were actually playing an enjoyable brand of soccer, whatever the results.
Will soccer ever replace American football and baseball in the US? I hope not - their fan-bases need not be mutually exclusive. One can be a fan of football and baseball (in my case the Raiders and Yankees) while developing a love of soccer (as I have done with Ajax, Celtic, and Spurs). No antagonism is necessary.
By the way, I still call it "soccer." "But the rest of the world calls it 'football'!" Italy doesn't.
Just wait because there are 5 or 6 others like Landon Donovan waiting for their shot at the National Team. Our younger players will be able to continue the great play started in the 2002 World Cup. Devin Barclay, Bobby Convey, Santino Quaranta, Craig Capano, DaMarcus Beasley, and Landon Donovan will be the future of American football. I can not wait until 2006! See you in Germany.
I'm proud of the way the team handled an adverse decision and an eventual loss. They didn't whine, they didn't protest, they took it in their stride. Their efforts to equalize were noble and heroic, and while they were ultimately in vain with regards to the final score, the crowd viewing the game at my home walked away saying "wow, what an effort!" or "that Tony Sanneh" etc. Congratulations on your well-deserved and newly found respect Team USA. We're very proud of you!
USA has now had it's true baptism into world football - playing better than the Germans but still losing!
Steve B, Scotland
I have been watching USA soccer all my life, and I must say that one of the happiest moments I can remember is our loss to Germany. Happy in the sense that we lost, but in many ways we won. We proved to the rest of the world that we came to play.
Scott Porot, USA
I think that the United States represented our country very well at the World Cup. I was disappointed in how many of the citizens of our country have treated our soccer teams in the past.
Now I think that many more people from the USA will be behind all of our soccer teams in the years to come. Congratulations on your performances and what a way to break the ice.
The USA were very unlucky to lose this game. The people of America should be very proud of their boys for progressing so far in the world's most prestigious soccer event. The US team could and should have gone on the win the tournament.
Terry Hibberd, England
Being an American in England, it became very tiresome listening to the English media during this World Cup. The USA deserved respect going into it and didn't receive any by the English media until the USA's hard fought lose against Germany.
It seemed the English commentators were envious of the Yanks performances compared to their own country's national team. The USA is going to make the English media even more nervous in 2006. I think the World Cup will be in American hands far sooner than English.
Darrell,A Yank in England
The USA team's intensity was amazing all through the game. I thought they would run out of steam in the second half but they kept on going. They were very unlucky.
The German keeper had a great game. Reyna ran the show for the US, Landon Donovan was unlucky and Tony Sanneh ran from end to end to almost score the goal of the tournament. I thought it was a good game all round.
I'm proud to see these kids bring it to the rest of the world and make it clear that the US has arrived on the World Football scene. But I'm also sad knowing that the US should have beat Germany. We outplayed them from start to finish.
We're young, we're fast, we're skilled and we'll be back in 2006, make no mistake about it!
Thanks to all the non-Americans here for their support and encouragement, but US football still has a long way to come.
Dan Gonsiorowski, US
Our boys made us proud. They played with great style and class. They can walk off with their head's held high. They seemed more intent on playing the game than faking injuries, trying to get away with fouls, and in general showing the kind of poor sportsmanship that seems common and accepted in soccer by other countries.
The US was one of the best teams in this Worldcup! You dominated the game against Germany. I thought the US team was going to reach the semi-final without doubt, but on the day the result was not in America's favour.
Congratulations, USA, for setting a fine example of sportsman-like behaviour. You're shining beside the flailing Italians and the bawling Spanish. Once again, be proud.
Brian, expat Canuck in Korea
After a spirited performance by the USA football team - showing far more creativity and movement than European teams staffed by overpaid primadonnas - the Americans conceded an hard-fought 1-0 to Germany, and thus go home to a low-key welcome from family and friends.
The USA players did so well this tournament that they fully deserve the ticker-tape homecoming worthy of heroes. Bruce Arena can rightly be proud of his boys. And their country should be, too ...
John Pasteur, England & Holland
The US plays great football and are fantastic athletes. It was a much more interesting match to watch than the England/Brazil one. Nabeel,(below) says it'll be a long time before the US get a World Cup final, but I think we only need to give it four years!
Their valiant, confidence and never-say-die attitude is very admirable and I'm going to keep a lookout for team USA in international tournaments.
Those teams that crashed out blaming every mentionable thing they could name ought to learn a thing or two from the Americans.
Italy should take a lesson from the USA on how it reacts to bad refereeing. Not one player or coach blamed the referee for the loss. Hats off to Germany, who did what they had to do to win. Magnificent job by Kahn in goal. Watch out for the USA in 2006.
Timothy Walls, USA
I was very proud to be represented by our team. I was most impressed by their great attitudes, sportsmanship, and athleticism. I hope that, no matter what the results are in the future, we can hold on to those and leave the play-acting, cynicism, and whining to those countries that take their results for granted!
Winning the World Cup was not a realistic goal, however, the US has gained something equally important and that is the respect from the rest of the football world. The comments from the UK on our play throughout this World Cup were generous (even the criticism was constructive) and supportive. No country knows their football better than the UK and the respect your country has shown to our steady improvement is a trophy unto itself.
Why oh why oh why do we allow referees from third world countries with pathetic domestic leagues referee in big games and make big mistakes like today?
Virgil Hamstead, England
Luck, bad calls, fewer days of rest - call it how you see it. In the end, our boys come home heroes...hardly the reception many a team in this cup will get at home.
No reason to be proud but a reason to be happy. USA played better football and Germany won. I understand if you don't like this kind of distributive justice. You would have deserved to win, USA.
It was a great run by the US through the tournament, and if Claudio Reyna had scored that lob from midfield who knows what the result would have been. While Landon Donovan and Brad Friedel in particular played a terrific tournament, probably the best prospect to emerge from the US side is the manager, Bruce Arena. Whether he remains as the US skipper or tries his luck abroad, Arena has clearly established himself as a top football mind.
Steve, American in UK
Unlucky? Maybe, but in the end they simply couldn't get the ball past Kahn. I still feel very good about the way our boys played, and it certainly doesn't hurt losing in a fair match to team such as Germany, with their fine tradition of superior football. The American lads represented their country well through their tenacity and sportsmanship. Perhaps this will serve to remind others around the world that there is another kind of American, a sort not fairly represented by millionaire prima donna athletes, brash entertainers, and high-handed, bellicose politicians.
Great game by the US! It's hard to believe that anyone can still doubt the capabilities of our players. We played very well, but the Germans are clearly better in the air. Nevertheless, many Europeans will continue to belittle America. In order for the US to be respected, it seems that we must complain in European fashion. Well, here goes then - (1) equalizing goal/penalty disallowed, (2) twice as many calls against them by the ref, and (3) my favourite Euro complaint - the US didn't score any goals, but deserved to win. Now will we get respect in the international press? All are rubbish European excuses, the USA played well and should be acknowledged for its great attacking play...
An outstanding performance by the USA. If it hadn't been for Kahn in goal, Germany would have lost by two or three goals. The US showed technical skills, movement off the ball, support play and - crucially - spatial awareness that was world class. They deserved to be in the quarter-finals and were desperately unlucky not to go further.
Ruari McCallion, UK
The US team played with a lot of heart today and they should be proud of this game. I dispute the statement that their efforts have gone unnoticed in the US: their play is the talk of my train rides into Chicago's downtown, and I know of a lot of groggy US supporters staying up all hours to watch them.
I'm glad to see USA put up a good fight against the Germans. I wasn't glad to see the handball on the line go un-penalised. Naturally cynical of the USA before the tournament, I'm now sad to see them go out unjustly. Some woeful refereeing in this world cup that must be addressed for the next tournament
Well, perhaps now people in the UK will understand how Americans find it difficult to credit a sport where referees decide the eventual outcome, erroneously. About time you started using technology to support such flawed officials - although then maybe England wouldn't have even been in the finals...
The US should be tremendously proud of our team. We played valiantly against a team that dominated us physically less than a year ago and in France '98. We have seen some remarkable progress in our overall skill level by controlling a majority of play versus Germany today.
The new goal for the US will be to pressure MLS to keep our young stars (Donovan, Beasley, etc.) in the US to promote the game domestically. Of course they would find tougher competition in the top European leagues, but it would be advantageous to the program as a whole to cultivate the ever-growing popularity of football in America by keeping our World Cup heroes here. Way to go America!
The US played a great game today, and it showed what a great future this nation has as a football power house! I am proud of the effort and talent of both the team and coaching staff. This has been a great World cup for the US . Thank you for all the thrills and joy you gave to all of us watching!
Christian Quiroga, USA
The US team has impressed everybody with its courage and good performance today against Germany. USA, welcome to the global party of football!
If England had shown half the grit and determination the USA showed in the second half, our score might have been different. The USA were robbed of the opportunity to get level when the ref and linesman clearly missed the handball on the line - yet another example of below-par refereeing. Well done USA you can be proud of your achievements, due to masterful tactics from the manager Arena and sheer hard work from the players.
Steve Burke, United Kingdom
The Americans played well and showed the world what we are capable of. As for the match today, Kahn showed why he is the number one keeper in the world. If not for him, I believe that the US would have had one, maybe two goals. Well done Germany.
The US football team have done themselves proud. They were really unlucky to lose to Germany and I think that now the world should take notice and stop belittling American soccer. After that performance they proved they fully deserved their place in the last eight. Well done USA.
First off I would like to congratulate Germany on a game well played and wish the German team the best of luck in the rest of the tournament.
You better believe the US team have done their country proud! They made it farther than anyone, including their own countrymen thought they would. While they may have been defeated by Germany, they showed what they are made of in today's game. I believe they may have actually gained respect despite their loss.
When Team USA returns home they will be treated as conquering heroes and rightfully so. Thank you Team USA for an awesome World Cup!
Brandon, Washington, USA
Congratulations USA on an entertaining game. Your team's performance has shown that the USA has come of age and can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world's best. All the best for 2006.
Jim Rhodes, UK
Lots of people in the US interested in football now! One American, referring to the tense game: "Now I know why they only play once every four years - I couldn't handle any more than that." It's not likely to turn the US into a soccer playing nation overnight (no room for blanket advertising during televised games), but people here have begun to appreciate the game now: they'll certainly take a lot more interest the next time around.
It will be many years before (and if) the US ever gets to a World Cup final. Let's recognize the amazing progress the sport has made in the country in a very short amount of time, and in a very crowded sports field.
Paddy Hirsch, USA
for the USA to make the quarter finals was a great feat. With the MLS only six years old and still in the early stages it was great. Most of the U.S goals were scored by MLS players. Great job USA,you did your country proud
Tim Elsden, USA
The US can be very proud. Not only did they play to show the world that they weren't pushovers, they played for a win. They played like they really believed they could win and it showed. This is a subtle shift from past performances. The world should take notice. I think Germany did.
World football is all the richer for the freshness and enthusiasm of the U.S. team. Well done, guys!!
Stuart Harris, Netherlands
All of us in the US should be proud of our team, with the sad realization that this is the last time we will get to sneak up on the rest of the football world.
Allen Gilbert, USA
Were they unlucky to lose? I would say they were lucky to get that far. They nearly lost to Korea, lost to Poland and thanks to a poor Portugal team they advanced. Against México they stayed back with all their men defending against a better team who had 70% possession of the ball, and were lucky when a penalty wasn't called against them. So who was lucky?
Salvador j. Zavala, México
The progress the USA have made in recent years is dramatic. If this World Cup inspires the American youth to take up football as a favoured sport, in World Cup 2010 they will be serious contenders.
Football is a minority sport in the USA; about 90% of the population do not even know the rules. For this team to compete on equal grounds with the world's best teams is nothing short of amazing. For a comparison could you imagine Portugal beating the USA at basketball in the next Olympics?
God bless the people's game of football and all those who truly love it. Baseball is fast becoming defunct and the real 'football' is here to stay with a vengeance. It is truly amazing when I listen to the idiocy promulgated by American TV and radio commentators who hold the sport in such low regard.
I cannot wait for the day when I am an old man and the youngsters running TV and radio have the footballing knowledge the fans deserve to hear. God bless Germany, you finished your chances and the US did not. Oliver Kahn is right up there with Schumacher and Sepp Maier. The USA will be back and hopefully in 2006 we'll finish better if we get to this stage.
The USA out played Germany. This one came down to the goalkeeper Oliver Kahn who is definitely the best in the world. Landon Donovan is a star and will probably return to Leverkusen. Good job USA.
Mark Hardt, USA
USA were by far the better team. It is tragic and unjust that such a negative and terrible team like Germany are in the semi-finals of the World Cup. USA deserved to go through.
When the American public looks beyond the pathetic sport of baseball and its players, and realize that football (soccer) is a fantastic sport, that is when the US team will be regarded in the same esteem as Brazil, Italy, England, etc.
They impressed a lot of people here that generally support the team of their heritage, like myself, but unfortunately it will not be noticed by the people and media in the US who are forever hooked on the sad sport of baseball this time of year. Remember the strength of a team is due, in part, to the support of its fan base.
My comrades on the pitch played a brilliant match today, but came up short against one of the world's elite squads - Germany. Despite many opportunities the US couldn't seem to find the back of the net.
I felt that the officiating was a bit one-sided and that Germany was awarded far more free kicks than they deserved. Nonetheless, I am proud of the US footballers and look forward to seeing many of them on the television this summer/fall in their respective leagues. U-S-A!
Congratulations to Germany. A hard fought game. In regards to the US not paying attention, 4 radio stations and 2 TV channels were covering the game in my area. There were at least 3 bars that opened up at 6 in the morning to show the game on a big screen. This is in a town of 100,000. Good luck Germany in the semis.
I am so proud of our side. We dominated the game and lost almost entirely the strength of Germany's amazing defence. Both teams played clean games (except perhaps for Jeremies' little Rivaldo act against Reyna), so no controversy on the result.
I also want to congratulate Germany. German and English clubs have been at the forefront of hiring American players and they deserve our thanks for that. I'm betting Bayer Leverkusen will want Donovan back soon. Clearly, the American game is ascending, so I can't wait to see 2006. In the meantime, Forza Korea!
A great effort by our men, and I feel we outplayed the Germans. They beat us at our major weakness which is defending free kicks but other than that we played very well. The stock of many of our players has risen, and it will be fun to see where they head off to.
I am a devoted fan who has attended numerous national team matches, and I have been pleasantly surprised by media coverage and public reaction. I think the average non-American would be pretty surprised how our nation took to this mini run.
Kevin Ryan, USA
What a wonderful, spirited performance by the US team. They played well, and played cleanly, which means everything since this is a sport. They outplayed the German team (who didn't play cleanly), and really deserved to win the game. They didn't, but they were still gracious enough to congratulate the Germans. A wonderful performance and a wonderful example to ALL the other teams. Well done USA!
Christopher Laird, Japan/UK
I'm not going to whine about hand-balls blocking goals or would be fouls. Our boys played extremely well. A few inches here or there and it could have been USA 1-0 Germany. The team should get a standing ovation when they arrive back in the country.
Brian Kreulen, USA
We could not be prouder of our overachieving team! We shocked a usually stagnant football world, and not even the foreign press can take away from our performance today or in the cup. Good luck to the Germans. We'll see you all in four years. (I really love this game, are you sure we didn't invent it?)
The Americans can come home with their heads raised high. Our boys have done us proud! This match against Germany was an unlucky defeat for the Americans, but a great victory for American soccer. I salute them and anxiously await a rematch in 2006!
Will C, USA
Ron, Brazil (US expat)
I feel sorry for the USA, who have now experienced the sort of bad luck that generally befalls Germany's opponents. A clear penalty (and subsequent sending-off) was not the only thing missed by Hugh Dallas, the Scottish referee who had an absolute shocker, and he should join David Seaman in international retirement.
Not only a worthy performance on the field, but an excellent display of character and sportsmanship.
They played wonderfully and should be very proud of their performance, unfortunately, luck was not on their side today.
Angie Higbee, US
Great game. Unfortunately my team lost, but not for lack of talent. Both teams played their best games yet.Congratulations Germany, I hope you go on to do well.
Americans are very proud of their team and their accomplishments. We wore our red, white and blue to work today and cheered the team on. It was a great effort and we recognize that. The BBC's comments that the team's efforts have gone largely without notice are not true. We will be back and next time we could go all the way!
Four members of the US Team (Clint Mathis, Cobi Jones, Landon Donovan and Joe-Max Moore) were interviewed by Jay Leno on the highest rated talk show in America. These results actually have registered in the US press, even if it's not mega-huge yet.