Skip to main content

A Brief Recent History of U.S. Soccer

I've been following US Soccer at a level of aficionado (fan) since 1999. I watch nearly every friendly, CONCACAF tournament game, and every FIFA tournament game.

In the United States, soccer is largely misunderstood by a good number of the public, including sportscasters and other sporting professionals. Americans are used to winning every sport they're involved in internationally. Not medaling in an international tournament is not acceptable.

With basketball, (american) football, and baseball, America has been the primary dominant international player, not only in athlete participation but also in sport development. Soccer is completely different. While America has the money to throw at the sport, the sports stage is overcrowded. People have suggested that if Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, LaDainian Tomlinson, and (fill in the blank) played soccer growing up (Bryant and Nash did) and continued professionally, the landscape of US Soccer might look more like USA Basketball than it does.

The result? The achievements of US Soccer have been discounted, ridiculed, and discarded. I want to look at some of the US Soccer wins in the last 8 years to help put things in perspective.

Format: Score, Result -- Opponent (ranking) (match location)

2002: (US enters year ranked #24)
  • 2-1 Win -- Korea (#22) (USA)
  • 1-0 Win -- Ecuador (#38) (USA)
  • 1-0 Win -- Mexico (#9) (USA)
  • 2-1 Win -- Uruguay (#22) (USA)
  • 3-2 Win -- Portugal (#5) (World Cup - Korea)
  • 2-0 Win -- Mexico (#7) (World Cup Knockout Stage)
  • 0-1 Loss -- Germany (#11) (World Cup Quarterfinals) (Germany was ranked #5 following World Cup)
- Three wins over FIFA Top 10 teams in 2002.

2003: (US enters year ranked #10)
  • 2-0 Win -- Paraguay (#20) (USA)

2004: (US enters year ranked #11)
  • 1-1 Tie -- Denmark (#13) (USA)
  • 1-0 Win -- Poland (#25) (Poland)
  • 1-0 Win -- Mexico (#7) (USA)
2005: (US achieves highest ever FIFA ranking -- #6)
  • 3-0 Win -- Colombia (#26) (USA)

2006: (US enters year ranked #7)
  • 3-2 Win -- Japan (#15) (USA)
  • 1-0 Win -- Poland (#22) (Germany)
  • 1-1 Tie -- Italy (#13) (World Cup Group Stage -- USA played over half the game a man down, tying eventual World Cup Champions, who moved to #2 after winning the World Cup.)
2007: (US enters year ranked #32 -- due to poor World Cup performance. US ranked #19 at year's end.)
  • 3-1 Win -- Denmark (#22) (USA)
  • 2-0 Win -- Mexico (#18) (USA)
  • 3-1 Win -- Ecuador (#30) (USA)
  • 2-1 Win -- Mexico (#26) (USA -- Gold Cup Final)
2008: (US enters year ranked #20)
  • 2-0 Win -- Sweden (#22) (USA)
  • 3-0 Win -- Poland (#23) (Poland)
  • 0-1 Loss -- Spain (#4) (Spain)
  • 0-0 Tie -- Argentina (#1) (USA)
2009: (US enters year ranked #22)
  • 3-2 Win over Sweden (#31) (USA)
  • 2-0 Win over Mexico (#26) (USA)
  • 3-0 Win over Egypt (#40) (African Champion) (South Africa - FIFA Confed. Cup)
  • 2-0 Win over Spain (#1) (UEFA Champion) (South Africa - FIFA Confed. Cup)
US currently ranked #12 (FIFA July standings)

Notes:
  • Big wins over Portugal, Mexico, Egypt, and Spain prove that the USA isn't a second-rate world soccer program.
  • US team is tough to beat at home -- period.
  • The lack of big wins in some years due to regional play, where group stage teams are ranked #50 or lower.
Data credits: FIFA, USSoccer.com

Popular posts from this blog

USA v. Ghana: Line-up & Prediction

This is the most interesting game of the tournament as far as what is at stake. The USA need a win by at least 3 goals if the Czech and Italians were to tie. If Italy were to beat the Czech, all the USA would need is a win. Here is my "best-bet" line-up: GK - Keller D - Bocanegra, Gooch (yc), Cherundolo MF - Beasley, Reyna (yc), Dempsey, O'Brien, Donovan F - McBride, E. Johnson Notes: - 3 in the back will force play outside; Dempsey (RWM) and Beasley (LWM) are fast enough to play both ways - Midfield control will be the most crucial factor to a multi-goal win. We will not counter-attack well with the speed of the Ghana side. Also, if we don't control the midfield, Michael Essien will. - I think McBride and Johnson are the best bet up front. McBride receives the ball well. Johnson's size, quickness, and skill will serve us well. - A big question is who will play Def. MF. With no Mastroeni, we resort to either Dempsey or O'Brien in a 3-5-2 formation. SUBS: - Con...
Read more

Time with Josh

Since Josh (Chandler, my friend who was severly injured in a car accident on June 2nd - chandlerupdate.blogspot.com) was moved to Charlotte for rehabilitation, I had not had the opportunity to see him, primarily since Charlotte is 3.5 hours from Rocky Mount. On the way back to school (figure it out), I passed right through Charlotte. Since I had no reason to be at school early, I had plenty of time to stop by the rehab. hospital and spend some time with Josh. As I drove through downtown Charlotte, I began to think about all that Josh had gone through. Sometimes, I am still tempted to ask questions regarding why Josh had gone through all of this. I'm sure part is sin and part is my finite being. However, I cannot view this "accident" through the lens of chance or "bad luck." God is SOVEREIGN. He performs all things after the counsel of His own will. (This would be God's sovereign will -- It cannot be thwarted, and not you and I can do nothing to change it.) M...
Read more

Desiring 'Stuff:' Idols of the Heart

I have been slowly plodding my way through Piper's When I Don't Desire God, which was recommended by a friend. I will extend that invitation to any Christian desiring to grow. The theme of the book is: How to win the battle of 'desiring God' in the flesh that naturally does not. Instead of detailing how to desire God (as he does in Desiring God ) (amazing, i know), he deals with why we don't desire Him and how to desire Him as we ought. In chapter 5, he discusses the vision it takes to see Christ in order to treasure Him as is our immense task. One section caught my attention specifically. It was entitled: "Blind By The Things We Make and Trust." A portion of this section to illustrate: Those who make them [idols] become like them, so do all those who trust in them!' (Psalm 135:15-18) Make and trust a blind idol, and you become blind. Apply that principle to the modern world, and think of the idols of our own day. What do we make and what do we tru...
Read more