Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, 30.07.1999
0-2 (0-1)
– / Olsen 23., Moore 50.
With Germany and the United States both on three points from their two games but with the Mannschaft with a poorer goal difference, the task was simple: no less than a win was required to progress through to the semi-final stage. Right from the opening exchanges, you just knew it wasn’t going to happen.
Germany were the traditonal footballing superpower and the US were the also-rans – but watching this game, you could have been forgiven for mistaking one for the other. The Americans dominated proceedings, taking a 1-0 lead into the half-time break courtesy of Benny Olsen before Joe-Max Moore – who earlier in his career had plied his trade in the Bundesliga for both FC Saarbrücken and 1. FC Nürnberg – doubled his team’s advantage with a long-range free-kick that was worthy of Roberto Carlos five minutes after the break.
Ribbeck’s team were never really in it; it was quite clear from the body language that they didn’t want to be there at all, and would have preferred to be in an equally hot but less smoggy location than Guadalajara. It was maybe just as well that this campaign ended when it did.
Germany: Lehmann – Wörns (c), Linke – Heinrich (41. Doğan), Matthäus, Gerber (76. Maul) – Schneider, Wosz – Neuville, Preetz, Heldt (60. Rink)
United States: Friedel – Hejduk, Brown, Balboa, Agoos – Olsen (65. Stewart), McKeon, Williams, Lewis – Moore (83. Kirovski) – Bravo (77. McBride)
Referee: Gilberto Alcalca (Mexico)
Assistants: Awni Hassouneh (Jordan), Domingos Piquenino (Mozambique)
Yellow Cards: Gerber, Wörns, Matthäus, Rink / Olsen, Hejduk, Agoos
Red Cards: – / –
Attendance: 53,000
First Phase Group B Table
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Brazil (Q) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +3 | 9 |
 | United States (Q) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
 | Germany | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 3 |
 | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
Other results: New Zealand 1-2 United States; Brazil 1-0 United States; New Zealand 0-2 Brazil.