| Clint Dempsey sobbed as the Americans walked up to get their second-place
medals, unable to hide the pain and the disappointment any longer.
The euphoria of knocking off Spain last week dissolved Sunday
in the Confederations Cup final when Brazil unleashed its "Beautiful
Game."
After dominating the five-time World Cup champions in the first
half, the Americans were powerless as Brazil scored three goals
in the final 45 minutes to rally for a 3-2 win.
"We're at the point where we don't want respect, we want
to win," said Landon Donovan, whose goal in the 27th minute
gave the United States a 2-0 lead. "There's no guarantee
we ever get back to a final game like this, so it's disappointing."
Luis Fabiano scored twice for Brazil, and Lucio added the third
in the 84th minute to give Brazil its second straight Confederations
Cup title and third overall. The American men fell short in their
first final of a FIFA tournament, but the experience was invaluable.
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