Suddenly the arrogant Europeans are quaking in their precious Predators.
With one week gone in these goal-happy 2002 World Cup finals, we have seen three of Europe’s footballing powers brought crashing down to earth.
On Wednesday, Euro 2000 semi- finalists Portugal found themselves 3-0 down to the United States, who lost three out of three at France 98.
The Portuguese clawed their way back to 3-2 but — unlike the feat achieved by Eusebio’s 1966 team when they came from 3-2 down to beat North Korea 5-3 in the quarter-final — this heartless lot couldn’t even snatch a point.
By the end the Yanks, brilliant in the air and well protected by Blackburn goalkeeper Brad Friedel, were comfortable winners.
Poland, supposedly Portugal’s major Group D rivals after their perfect qualifying campaign, were beaten with even more panache by South Korea on Tuesday at a delirious Busan.
Suddenly it’s the hosts and the US heading the group, with Poland and Portugal struggling for survival.
France, the holders and European champions, are in serious dwang. Everyone, everywhere knows they lost to minnows Senegal in game one.
Then came Uruguay on Thursday. The world champions had the English Premiership’s top scorer Thierry Henry sent-off for a rash challenge after just 26 minutes and the 10 remaining French players simply couldn’t produce a goal.
The tournament’s first goalless draw was no bore, but it leaves the French in a very difficult situation.
They go into their final game against Denmark knowing that, even if they win, they have a real chance of falling at the first hurdle, the first time the holders have ever gone out in the group stage.
It’s not a European disaster yet, but it’s heading that way.
Only Denmark, 2-1 winners over Uruguay before their 1-1 draw with Senegal, have really done the business for the continent that likes to think of itself as the granddaddy of football.
Sweden and England looked just like grandparents in their dull, unimaginative 1-1 draw, Belgium were struggling in their 2-2 draw with an impressive Japan, while Russia were lucky to come away from their clash against the tricky Tunisians on Wednesday morning with a 2-0 win at Kobe.
I guess Italy’s 2-0 win over Ecuador must go down as something of a success. Christian Vieri’s double was too much for the side that finished an impressive second to Argentina in South American qualifying.
But there are some big games ahead for Europe’s finest and the shift in power has been emphasised by the improving form of the Africans in Korea and Japan.
Cameroon, the African Nations Cup winners, didn’t look too impressive in beating Saudi Arabia 1-0, but add that to their 1-1 draw with Ireland and a result against Germany will see them through.
Senegal followed up their shock win over France with a 1-1 draw against Denmark and are in a similar position.
South Africa’s dramatic comeback against Paraguay, allied with Nigeria’s unfortunate 1-0 defeat against mighty Argentina, creates a general picture of African optimism.
Only time will tell, but already we know this is turning in to a cracking tournament. By the end of the US triumph we had seen 46 goals in 16 games so far. That’s nearly three a game.
And with all these minnows giving the big fish a good nibbling, I’m starting to think a bet on a shock winner — with hosts Japan and Korea both looking good — might be worth a punt.
But outsiders never win World Cups do they?
As Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso said after his nation’s sorry defeat against the US: ”It’s at moments like these that great teams show what they are made of.”