Sunday’s six-goal swing which allowed the United States to advance to the semi-finals, knocking out Italy and Egypt along the way, was one of the more improbable results you are likely to see in world competition.

And it prompted some rapid scrambling from the US media, much of which was ready to write the umpteenth obit for the sport across the pond.

That’s the nature of punditry (and fandom). We are so influenced by results - rather than a subjective interpretation of what actually happens on the pitch - that sometimes we can get it very, very wrong.

Michael Bradley, son of Bob Bradley, the USA coach, gave the press both barrels in the aftermath of the shock 3-0 win over Egypt.

“All those f****** experts in America, everybody who thinks they know everything about soccer, they can all look at the score tonight, all right?” he growled, wide-eyed.

Bradley junior is a curious case. Like most coach’s sons (take Frank Lampard) he is imbued with the values that coaches look to instil: tactical nous, team ethic, hard work, etc. Unlike most coach’s sons he is prone to the odd, heartfelt outburst. What is clear to anyone who has watched him play is that he knows the game inside and out, whether it’s a function of his dad or whether it’s a natural gift.

He played a single season in Major League Soccer (under his dad, who was sacked towards the end of the season) before moving to Heerenveen in Holland and then Borussia Moenchengladbach. Still just 21-years-old, he’s a defensive midfielder with vision who’s not afraid to shirk a challenge. And he may well be, next to Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, the most important player in the US squad.

Empty seats cause World Cup concern

More bad news on the ticket front. Some 6,000 for tonight’s Spain v USA semi-final in Bloemfontein remain unsold.

Fifa announced yesterday that it will give them away to ensure a full house. Fair enough. But what is really bizarre is that 2,000 tickets also remain available for the other semi-final, tomorrow in Johannesburg. When the host nation, South Africa, plays a semi-final against the planet’s biggest footballing draw, Brazil, and fails to sell out, you know you've got some serious issues to resolve.

A Fifa source explained the problem, saying that those 2,000 unsold tickets are virtually all in the most expensive category and cost the equivalent of around £90 each. Ninety quid for a Confederations Cup semi-final is a lot for Western Europe, let alone a country where most wealthy people have little interest in football and where there is 40 per cent unemployment. The really tricky thing here is that it’s one thing to give away free tickets in the downmarket cheap seats, quite another to give freebies to a stand where other supporters have paid £90 for their tickets.

One thing appears certain: Fifa and the local organizers need to think long and hard about their pricing policy ahead of the World Cup.