espnstar.com's Asian football columnist writes about one of the biggest footballing upsets in the history of the sport.

Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the President of the United States this morning? Has Paris Hilton won the Nobel Peace Prize? Is the world being invaded by vast armadas of spaceships carrying indestructible alien bugs?

Don't snicker. You'd better check, because the USA have beaten Spain 2-0 in the semi-final of the Confederations Cup, a game no one in their wildest dreams ever thought La Roja would lose.

Worse, it came just as the Spaniards were about to overhaul Brazil's longstanding world record for being undefeated.

You couldn't make it up.

The Americans, no match for Italy and Brazil in their first two matches, have now shocked form teams Egypt and Spain in succession and must have a good chance of upsetting Brazil in the final - if indeed the Selecao can overcome South Africa to get there.

What a confounding tournament this has been. It started so predictably, but now nothing can be taken for granted. If this is a sign of things to come at the World Cup next year, then football fans are in for four weeks of something truly special. A World Cup where no team is safe.

And, on this showing, the USA, so long the butt of jokes in football circles, should find themselves back in the top ten of the FIFA world rankings when they are released next month. It couldn't have come at a better time for the American World Cup bid. If Europe's movers and shakers thinks they have 2018 in the bag, they should think again.

So were Spain the victims of the disease otherwise known as complacency, something that has riddled this year's Confederations Cup?

It must have been a factor, but to make too much of it would be unfair. The USA's teenage striker Jozy Altidore turned his marker, Joan Capdevila, with ridiculous ease for the first goal and the second, scored by veteran midfielder Clint Dempsey, was a result of the Americans pressing and dispossessing Spain in their own half and making the European champions pay dearly for failing to clear the ball out of their own danger zone.

What was Sergio Ramos thinking? Why on earth did he just tap the ball with the inside of his right foot when it landed at his feet following a Landon Donovan cross? Dempsey didn't need an invitation to dip, swerve and fire around Ramos' legs.

This guy plays for Réal Madrid? After last night's match he should be cleaning toilets at McDonalds on Calle Gran Via.

All great teams are allowed an off day, and for Spain this clearly was one of them, their vaunted attack only managing a handful of retaliatory strikes on target in reply. But they also had an off day against Iraq, don't forget.

Two poor performances in four matches against some less-than-stellar opposition is worrying.

Spain thought they had consigned their infamous big-tournament yips to history by winning Euro 2008. On the evidence of their hitout in South Africa, that might not be the case at all. The yips are back.

As for the USA, they can hold their heads high. To be virtually down and out in the group stage, only to eventually make the final is an escape act worthy of Harry Houdini. Their only glaring problem is a propensity for collecting red cards, three in four games - three times more than all the other teams combined. They also lead the way with fouls conceded.