United States
- Clint Dempsey – Goals: 57
- Landon Donovan – Goals: 57
- Jozy Altidore – Goals: 42
- Eric Wynalda – Goals: 34
- Brian McBride – Goals: 30
Forward Landon Donovan was named the greatest American soccer player of all-time by the MLS and the Guardian, and he is the joint-leading USMNT scorer. Donovan was named the Young Player of the Tournament at the 2002 World Cup and was the top scorer at three CONCACAF Gold Cups. He was part of four Gold Cup-winning teams and helped the US finish second at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also won the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award four times.
Clint Dempsey isn’t too far behind Donovan in terms of achievements with the national team. Dempsey equalled Donovan’s 57 goal tally and won the US Soccer Athlete of the Year three times. The creative and physical midfielder/forward helped the USA soccer team win three Gold Cups and he was a major part of the Fulham team that were runners up in the 2009-10 Europa League.
Claudio Reyna played in three World Cups as USA’s midfield maestro and had a successful club career in the Bundesliga, the Premier League and the Scottish Premier League. In 2002 he became just the third American to be named to the World Cup all-tournament team. Reyna made over 100 appearances for the USMNT.
Tim Howard was a consistent presence in goal for the USA for over a decade. He turned in man of the match performances in World Cup matches vs. England and 2010 and Belgium in 2014 and won the Golden Glove award at the 2009 Confederations Cup. In the round of 16 match vs. Belgium he broke a World Cup record with 15 saves, despite a 2-1 loss.
Brad Friedel was nicknamed the human wall for his incredible goalkeeping performances at the 2002 World Cup. He became the first goalie at the World Cup since 1974 to save two non-shootout penalties in one match and was perhaps the biggest reason the US reached the quarterfinals of the tournament. He made 82 appearances with the USMNT from 1992-2005.
The USA’s first ever World Cup appearance was coincidentally their best. They didn’t give up a single goal in their group and picked up 3-0 wins over both Belgium and Paraguay. Against Paraguay, Bert Patenaude scored the World Cup’s first ever hat trick. As a group winner, the US advanced to the semifinal with an imminent match vs. Argentina.
Argentina proved to be too much for the Americans as the USA lost by a 6-1 scoreline. There was no third place game but the USA soccer team was credited with third based on goal difference. That remains the best USA finish at a World Cup to date.
On the back of a successful 1994 World Cup, there were high hopes for the 1998 World Cup. Despite having American legends like Eddie Pope, Claudio Reyna, Brian McBride and Cobi Jones on the roster, the USA soccer team failed to win a single match.
As expected, the US dropped their opener to Germany, 2-0. A 2-1 loss to Iran in the next match was heavily disappointing and the USA were eliminated with a match still to play. Yugoslavia edged the USA 1-0 in the finale and the USMNT finished dead last in the 32-team field.
USA Soccer Team History
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The first USA soccer team was put together in 1885 but its first official match wasn’t until 1916. The USA lost their first, albeit unofficial, match to Canada 1-0 but defeated Sweden 3-2 in Stockholm in their first official match.
An invitee to the first World Cup in Uruguay, the USMNT surprisingly made the semifinals as a group winner. In a 3-0 win over Paraguay in their second match, Bert Patenaude scored the first ever hat trick in a World Cup. In the semifinals, the USA fell 6-1 to Argentina.
The 1934 World Cup followed a single-elimination format, so the US were eliminated by Italy in a 7-1 first round defeat. In the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, the USA failed to make it past the group stage but pulled off a 1-0 upset win over England in the “Miracle on Grass”. Fans would have to wait another 40 years for another United States World Cup appearance.
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In the meantime, the national team went through its worst ever period and the domestic league folded in 1984. The USMNT was a win or draw away from qualifying for the 1986 World Cup but lost 1-0 to Costa Rica at home.
With a second-place finish at the 1989 CONCACAF Championship, the USA sealed their first World Cup qualification in four decades. At Italy 1990, the USMNT lost all three of their games but had the 1994 World Cup to look forward to as they automatically qualified as hosts.
In between the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, the USA soccer team won their first major trophy as they won the 1991 CONCACAF Championship, renamed the Gold Cup. The US swept their group games and got an impressive 2-0 win over rivals Mexico. The final vs. Honduras finished in a scoreless draw but the USMNT won 4-3 on penalties in Los Angeles.
At the 1994 World Cup, which they hosted, the USA made it past the first round for the first time since 1930. They lost 1-0 to eventual winners Brazil in the round of 16 and finished with a win, draw and two losses. Four years later at France ‘98, the USA lost all three group games and crashed out early.
Measurable Improvements
Landon Donovan won best young player at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. With Bruce Arena at the helm, the USMNT had their best finish at a World Cup since 1930 as they made the quarterfinals. In the round of 16, the USA won their first ever World Cup meeting with Mexico by a 2-0 scoreline.
From 2002 to 2007, the US won three of four Gold Cups but were eliminated in the group stage at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Arena departed following the tournament and Bob Bradley was hired in 2007. His career got off to an auspicious start as the USA defeated Mexico in the 2007 Gold Cup final, which qualified the USA for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
The USA, with Donovan, Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey in their prime, ended Spain’s 35-game winning streak in the Confederations Cup and made it to the final. With a 2-0 lead over Brazil in the final, it looked like the US would win their first FIFA trophy, however, Brazil scored three unanswered goals and completed a comeback win.
Next year, the US advanced to the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup but were eliminated by Ghana, 2-1. In August 2012, the USMNT got their first win at Azteca in 75 years, a 1-0 victory in a friendly. Mexican-American Michael Orozco scored the game’s only goal.
In 2014, under Jurgen Klinsmann, the USA qualified for the knockout stage in two consecutive World Cups for the first time ever. They were eliminated by Belgium in the round of 16 but Tim Howard set a World Cup record with 15 saves in the match.
The USA failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, which was the first one they missed in over 30 years. Current head coach Gregg Berhalter was hired the next year and he’s overseen one of the best periods in team history.
2021 was a successful year for him and the USMNT as they won the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League and the Gold Cup. Finishing third in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying standings, the USA booked a place at Qatar 2022.
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