My my, didn’t the London clubs do well last night?

Chelsea 2/ Inter Milan 0
In front of a huge crowd at Pasadena’s historic Rose Bowl stadium, Chelsea entertained their American fans with a win over the Serie A champions. Goals came from two of Jose Mourinho’s former lovers, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.

SC Columbia 1/ Arsenal 7
Despite a very embarrassing slip up for the opener, the Gunners absolutely spanked minnows SC Columbia in Vienna last night. Braces from Nicklas Bendtner, RVP and Aaron Ramsey were topped off with an effort from William Gallas. 

Samba Boys overcome the tournament’s most surprising team

USA 2/ Brazil 3
Few could believe the turn of events that led the USA to the Confederations Cup final last night, and after 45 minutes, it looked as if our friends from across the Atlantic were about to pull off another incredible shock. Brazil, however, fought back and ensured there will be no humble gratification like this in the American press.

For most, the best moment of the match was Fabiano’s sublime goal, but Landon Donovan’s goal celebration made our night. Is there any greater testament to teamwork than pointing at your own chest while screaming “ME! MEEEE!”?

[Video: 101GG]

USA/Brazil, Sunday 7.30pm, BBC Three, Betfair £25 Free Bet

The reaction of the American media to their national side ending Spain’s 35-game unbeaten streak may have been unbearable but it would have been just as bad - if not worse - over here if England had done it. The USA have made this pretty meaningless tournament worth watching and they will fancy their chances of winning it after seeing Brazil stumble past South Africa last night in the other semi-final. The bookies don’t though and some of the trends identified by our friends at chickendinner make it easy to see why:

1. Brazil have won 14 of their 15 matches against USA (one after extra-time). The USA’s one win over the holders came in the 1998 Gold Cup Final, with former Everton winger Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic scoring the winner.

2. USA haven’t scored against Brazil in three previous Confederations Cup meetings, with Dunga’s side beating them 1-0 in 1999 and 2003 and winning 3-0 against them last Thursday.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Alan Black talks down the potential of Team USA…

“What we saw today was a foreshadowing. At some point in the future, the USA will be the best soccer team in the world, and win the World Cup. That will be the day when an extra star could be added to the flag, the star of the ‘international’ state.”

[Video highlights of the surprise 2-0 win over Spain here]

Seriously Spain, how did you let that happen?

Spain 0/ USA 2
It’s lucky for Spain that no one really cares about the Confederations Cup, otherwise last night’s defeat to the USA would rank as one of the biggest international upsets in recent memory.

Last night, the Americans ended La Furia Roja’s 35-game unbeaten run and 15-game winning streak with a solid performance, helped by some woeful defending. If Sergio Ramos can pull himself away from the mirror long enough, he should watch that second goal a few times. Even a schoolboy wouldn’t take a touch inside the six yard box in that situation.

Congrats all the same to the USA, who will now face either Brazil or South Africa at Johannesburg’s Coca-Cola Park on Sunday.

Is the Swede about to get involved in the relegation dogfight?

Yesterday Sven-Goran Eriksson was one of the favourites for the Chelsea job but this morning he has leapfrogged Avram Grant and Alan Curbishley to emerge as the frontrunner to succeed Tony Adams at Portsmouth.

The former England boss is currently in charge of Mexico, who face the USA in a World Cup qualifier tomorrow night, and while you would expect him to walk if Chelsea came calling, the Portsmouth link remains unconvincing.

Don’t worry, they’re staying in Spain too

In 2004, Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara created an MLS expansion side (Chivas USA), and FC Barcelona are looking into following in their footsteps. The Spaniards have already committed to increasing their fanbase in North America with several summer tours, and now they wish to have a more permanent money generator presence across the pond:

FC Barcelona’s commitment to set up a sister club in MLS could see it rake in $2.6 million per year, but only if it can successfully strike up a tax exemption deal.

Spanish daily Marca has reported that the MLS outfit, which will not take the name “FC Barcelona,” is expected to earn a surplus of $8 million to $9 million per year, of which $2.6 million will go straight to the Catalan giants.

According to Sports Illustrated, the sister team, which is likely to have a name like the Barcelona Universe Tremor Warlocks, will be based in Miami, capitalising on the city’s large hispanic population. Oddly, the same article claims the team will play its home matches at the University of Florida, some 340 miles away in Gainesville.

Setting up a sister team in the MLS sounds like a great way of generating interest in European football, but who will be the first Premiership team to give it a go?

Feast your eyes on some football players in China

Perhaps one day someone will start a sentence with “there’s an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman” without it being a joke about people in boxes saying “potatoes” - it could even be used to introduce a Great British football line up. How wonderful would that be? Although, of course, the Irishman would have to come from the less green-grassy part of the emerald isle, and more the cobbled street bit where horses run wild (that’s the north, right?). Until that day, though, we’re going to have to content ourselves by gazing jealously at the other countries who get to call their footballers Olympians. Here’s eleven to keep a hungry eye on this year…

GK Brad Guzan, USA
Aston Villa’s (other) new American goalkeeper called Brad, the USA’s decision to make him one of their three over-23 players - he turns 24 during the tournament - shows just how great he is. That, of course, will count for nothing when he gets to Villa and warms the bench for the next decade, as Friedel becomes steadily more decrepit but still brilliant.

DL Marcelo, Brazil
Real Madrid signed the left wing-back in 2007 and he became a regular starter last season, pushing Gabriel Heinze into the centre. Unsurprisingly, he gets compared to Roberto Carlos - everyone does - and found the net on his international debut against Wales.

DC Vincent Kompany, Belgium
For those who spend their weekends playing Football Manager instead of talking to girls, you already know this guy, he’s one of the best buys in the game, damn it! And as it turns out, the 22-year-old isn’t too shabby in real life either. Right now he’s at Martin Jol’s Hamburg, and The Spoiler’s computerised West Ham.

DC Ezequiel Garay, Argentina
With all the Ronaldo talk this summer, Garay’s arrival at the