United States men's national soccer team

United States
Nickname(s) The Stars and Stripes[1]
The Yanks[2]
Team USA[3]
USMNT
Association U.S. Soccer
Confederation CONCACAF
Head coach Jürgen Klinsmann
Captain Clint Dempsey
Most caps Cobi Jones (164)
Top scorer Landon Donovan (57)
FIFA code USA
FIFA ranking 27 Increase 5 (9 April 2015)
Highest FIFA ranking 4[4] (April 2006)
Lowest FIFA ranking 36 (July 2012)
Elo ranking 18 (31 March 2015)
Highest Elo ranking 9 (June & July 2009)
Lowest Elo ranking 85 (October 17, 1968)
First colors
Second colors
First international
 Sweden 2–3 United States 
(Stockholm, Sweden; August 20, 1916)[5][6]
Biggest win
 United States 8–0 Barbados 
(Carson, California, U.S.; June 15, 2008)
Biggest defeat
 Norway 11–0 United States 
(Oslo, Norway; August 6, 1948)[7]
World Cup
Appearances 10
Best result 3rd place 1930[8]
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Appearances 13 (First in 1985)
Best result Champions, 1991, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013
Copa América
Appearances 3 (First in 1993)
Best result fourth place, 1995
Confederations Cup
Appearances 4 (First in 1992)
Best result Runners-up, 2009

The United States men's national soccer team, often referred to as the USMNT, represents the United States in international soccer. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football). The team has appeared in the last seven FIFA World Cups and hosted the 1994 edition.

The men's national team competes in the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup, in addition to the CONCACAF Gold Cup and other competitions by invitation, such as the CONMEBOL Copa America. They achieved their best result when they reached the semi-final at the 1930 World Cup, finishing third; this is also the highest finish of any team outside of the UEFA (European) and CONMEBOL (South American) confederations. After qualifying for the 1934 World Cup, and withdrawing in 1938, the next World Cup participation came at the 1950 tournament, causing an upset by defeating England 1–0 in its second group match. After 1950, the U.S. didn't qualify for the World Cup again until 1990.

After the 1990 World Cup, the U.S. qualified automatically as hosts of the 1994 World Cup, eventually losing to Brazil in the round of sixteen. The team has qualified for every World Cup since, including the 2014 World Cup. The national team improved on an international level, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where it lost to Germany 1–0. In 2009 it reached the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup, eliminating top-ranked Spain 2–0 in the semi-finals before losing to Brazil 3–2 in the final.

History

Early years

The first United States national team was constituted in 1885, when it played Canada in the first international match held outside the United Kingdom.[9] Canada defeated the U.S. 1–0 in Newark, New Jersey. The United States had its revenge the following year when it beat Canada 1–0, also in Newark, although neither match was officially recognized. The U.S. earned both silver and bronze medals in men's soccer at the 1904 St. Louis Summer Olympics through Christian Brothers College and St. Rose Parish, though the tournament has since been unofficiated by FIFA. The United States played its first official international match under the auspices of U.S. Soccer August 20, 1916, against Sweden in Stockholm, where the U.S. won 3–2.

America's first official formation in 1916

The U.S fielded a team in the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay, the first ever World Cup. The U.S. began group play by beating Belgium 3–0. The U.S. then earned a 3–0 victory over Paraguay, with FIFA crediting Bert Patenaude with two of the goals.[10][11][12][13] In November 2006, FIFA announced that it had accepted evidence that Patenaude scored all three goals against Paraguay, and was thus the first person to score a hat trick in a World Cup.[14] In the semifinals, the U.S. lost to Argentina 6–1. Using the overall tournament records, FIFA credited the U.S. with a third place finish ahead of fellow semi-finalist Yugoslavia.[15] The finish remains the U.S. team's best World Cup result, and is the highest finish of any team from outside of South America and Europe.

There was no official soccer tournament in the 1932 Olympic Games. In an informal tournament, the United States finished first, followed by Mexico and Canada. The U.S. qualified for the 1934 World Cup by defeating Mexico 4-2. The team played Italy and lost 7-1, eliminating them from the tournament. The Olympic soccer tournament was reinstated in the 1936 Olympic Games.

The 1950 World Cup in Brazil was the United States's next World Cup appearance (it withdrew from the tournament in 1938). The USA lost its first match 3–1 against Spain, but then won 1–0 against England at Independência Stadium in Belo Horizonte. Striker Joe Gaetjens was the goal scorer. The result is considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of the World Cups. Months before the famous World Cup loss to the USA, England had beaten an all-star "rest of Europe" side 6–1 in an exhibition match. Sports Illustrated and Soccer Digest have called World Cup upset by the Americans in 1950 the "Miracle on Grass,".[16] In USA's third game of the 1950 tournament, a defeat by Chile by a 5–2 margin saw the U.S. eliminated from the tournament. It would be four decades before the United States would make another appearance at the World Cup.

Attempted success

After the creation and rise of the North American Soccer League in the 1960s and 1970s, it seemed as though the U.S. national team would soon become a force in world soccer. Such hopes were not realized, however, and the United States played only two international matches from 1981 to 1983.

To provide a more stable national team program and renew interest in the NASL, U.S. Soccer entered the national team into the NASL for the 1983 season as Team America. This team lacked the continuity and regularity of training that conventional clubs enjoy, and many players were unwilling to play for the national team instead of their own clubs. Team America finished the season at the bottom of the league. U.S Soccer cancelled this experiment and withdrew the national team from the NASL. By the end of 1984, the NASL had folded, and there was no senior outdoor soccer league operating in the United States.[17]

U.S. Soccer targeted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1986 World Cup as means of rebuilding the national team and its fan base. The International Olympic Committee declared that teams from outside Europe and South America could field full senior teams, including professionals, that had never played in a World Cup. U.S. Soccer rearranged its Olympic roster, cutting many collegiate players and replacing them with professionals, but the U.S. finished 1–1–1 and failed to make the second round.

The United States bid to host the 1986 World Cup after Colombia withdrew from contention due to economic concerns, but FIFA selected Mexico to host the tournament. In the last game of CONCACAF qualifying for the 1986 World Cup, the U.S. needed only a draw against Costa Rica to reach the final qualification group against Honduras and Canada. U.S. Soccer scheduled the game to be played in Torrance, California, an area with many Costa Rican expatriates, and marketed the game almost exclusively to the Costa Rican community.[18] Costa Rica won the match 1–0, and kept the United States from reaching its fourth World Cup finals.[19]

In 1988, U.S. Soccer attempted to re-implement its national-team-as-club concept, offering contracts to national team players to build an international team with something of a club ethos, while loaning them out to their club teams, saving U.S. Soccer the expense of their salaries. This brought many key veterans back to the team, and the success of the NASL during the 1970s had created an influx of talent from burgeoning grass-roots level clubs and youth programs. Thus U.S. Soccer sought to establish a more stable foundation for participation in the 1990 World Cup than had existed for previous tournaments.

Rise in the U.S.

In 1989, FIFA named the United States as the host of the 1994 World Cup, but it did so under significant international criticism because of the perceived weakness of the national team and the lack of a professional outdoor league. This criticism diminished somewhat when a 1–0 win against Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S.'s first away win in nearly two years, in the last match of the 1989 CONCACAF Championship, earned the United States its first World Cup appearance in 40 years.

For the 1990 World Cup in Italy, two of the team's more experienced players, Rick Davis and Hugo Perez, were recovering from serious injuries and unavailable for selection, and manager Bob Gansler selected many inexperienced players and recent college graduates. The U.S. lost all three of its group games to Czechoslovakia, Italy, and Austria.

In a historic match, in 1993 U.S. Cup, U.S. beat England by 2–0.[20]

After qualifying automatically as the host of the 1994 World Cup under Bora Milutinović, the U.S. opened its tournament schedule with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in the Pontiac Silverdome in the suburbs of Detroit, the first World Cup game played indoors. In its second game, the U.S. faced Colombia, then ranked fourth in the world, at the Rose Bowl. Aided by an own goal from Andrés Escobar, the United States won 2–1.[21] Escobar was later murdered in his home country, possibly in retaliation for this mistake.[22] Despite a 1–0 loss to Romania in its final group game, the U.S. made it to the knockout round for the first time since 1930. In the round of 16, the U.S. lost 1–0 to the eventual champion Brazil.[23] Despite this success, the team fired Bora in 1995, reportedly because he was not interested in administrative duties.[24]

In the 1998 World Cup in France, the team lost all three group matches, 2–0 to Germany, 2–1 to Iran, and 1–0 to Yugoslavia, finishing dead last in the field of 32. Head coach Steve Sampson received much of the blame for the performance as a result of abruptly cutting team captain John Harkes, whom Sampson had ironically named "Captain for Life" shortly before, as well as several other players who were instrumental to the qualifying effort, from the squad.[25] It emerged in February 2010 that Sampson removed Harkes from the team due to Harkes allegedly having an affair with teammate Eric Wynalda's wife.[26]

Claudio Reyna during practice.

In the 2002 World Cup under Bruce Arena, the U.S. reached the quarterfinals, its best finish in a World Cup since 1930. The team reached the knockout stage after a 1–1–1 record in the group stage. It started with a 3–2 upset win over Portugal, followed by a 1–1 tie with co-host and eventual semi-finalist, South Korea. It then lost its third and final match 1–3 to Poland but still qualified for the second round when South Korea defeated Portugal. This set the stage for a Second round face-off with continental rivals Mexico, the first time they met in a World Cup. The U.S. won the game 2–0. Brian McBride opened the scoring, and Landon Donovan scored the second goal. That victory advanced the team to the quarterfinals, where it met Germany. The team lost 1–0; after being denied a penalty when Torsten Frings handled the ball to prevent a Gregg Berhalter goal.

In the 2006 World Cup, after finishing top of the CONCACAF qualification tournament, the U.S. was drawn into Group E along with the Czech Republic, Italy, and Ghana. The United States opened its tournament with a 3–0 loss to the Czech Republic. The team then drew 1–1 against Italy, who went on to win the World Cup.[27] The United States was then knocked out of the tournament when beaten 2–1 by Ghana in its final group match, with Clint Dempsey scoring the U.S.'s only goal in the tournament - the goal against Italy had been an own goal by Italian defender Cristian Zaccardo.[28]

Recent success

After failing to maintain his 2002 success at the 2006 World Cup, Bruce Arena's assistant, Bob Bradley, replaced him as coach.

In the 2007 Gold Cup, the U.S. won its group. With a 2–1 win over Panama in the quarterfinals, the U.S. defeated Canada 2–1 in the semifinals. In the final, the United States beat Mexico 2–1, which qualified it for the 2009 Confederations Cup.[29] The team's disappointing Copa América 2007 campaign, fielding a second-tier team, ended after three defeats in the group stage.[30]

The highlight of summer 2009 was the 2009 Confederations Cup.[31] In the semifinals, the U.S. defeated Spain 2–0.[32] At the time, Spain was atop the FIFA World Rankings and was on a run of 15 straight wins and 35 games undefeated. With the win, the United States advanced to its first-ever final in a men's FIFA tournament; however, the team lost 3–2 to Brazil.[33] The United States then hosted the 2009 Gold Cup.[34] The United States defeated Panama 2–1 in the quarterfinals, and defeated Honduras 2–0 in the semifinals. In the final, the United States was beaten by Mexico 5–0. This defeat broke the U.S. team's 58-match home unbeaten streak against CONCACAF opponents, and was the first home loss to Mexico since 1999.

Landon Donovan at the 2010 World Cup.

The U.S. qualified for the Fourth round, or Hexagonal, of the 2010 World Cup qualification. The U.S. began the Fourth round by beating Mexico 2–0, a loss that extended Mexico's losing streak against America on U.S. soil to 11 matches.[35] Next, the United States earned a 2–2 draw away to El Salvador.[36] Jozy Altidore became the youngest U.S. player to score a hat-trick, in a 3–0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.[37] Next, the U.S. were defeated by Costa Rica 3–1.[38] The United States defeated Honduras 2–1. Near the end of the summer of 2009, the United States lost 2–1 to Mexico at Estadio Azteca. The United States then defeated El Salvador 2–1. Then the U.S. beat Trinidad and Tobago 1–0. On October 10, 2009, the United States secured qualification to the 2010 World Cup with a 3–2 win over Honduras. Four days later, the U.S. secured first place in the Fourth round with a 2–2 draw against Costa Rica.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. team were drawn in Group C against England, Slovenia and Algeria. After drawing against England (1–1) and Slovenia (2–2), the U.S. defeated Algeria through a Landon Donovan stoppage time goal, the first time the USA had won its group since 1930. In the round of 16, the U.S. was eliminated by Ghana, 2–1.[39] On FIFA's ranking of World Cup teams the USA finished in 12th place.

The U.S. team began its 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification with a 2–0 defeat by Brazil in the New Meadowlands Stadium. In preparation for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the U.S. played three friendlies; a 1–1 draw to Argentina, a 1–0 loss to Paraguay, and a 4–0 loss to Spain.

Clint Dempsey with the U.S. in 2011.

The United States hosted the 2011 Gold Cup. The U.S. advanced past the group stage with a pair of victories over Guadeloupe and Canada, despite losing to Panama 2–1. This was the first defeat for the U.S. in a Gold Cup group stage match, and its first ever loss to Panama. In the quarterfinals, the United States defeated Jamaica 2–0. In the semifinals the U.S. avenged their group stage defeat with a 1–0 victory over Panama, and advanced to its fourth consecutive Gold Cup final, where the team faced Mexico in a rematch of the 2009 Gold Cup final. The United States was beaten by Mexico 4–2, extending Mexico's winning streak against the U.S. to three matches. It was also the second consecutive loss to Mexico on American soil.

Following the loss, Bob Bradley was relieved of his duties as coach and Jürgen Klinsmann became the national team's head coach July 29, 2011.

After their first six matches resulted in only a win and a draw against four losses, the U.S. embarked on a five-game winning streak. On February 29, 2012 the team won 1–0 in Italy, the first ever win for the USA over Italy. In 2012, the team began its World Cup qualification, and topped their third round qualification group with four wins, one draw and one defeat.

On June 2, 2013, the U.S. played a friendly against The B-team of 2nd-ranked Germany in its Centennial celebration match at a sold out RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. The U.S. won 4–3. This was the USMNT's first win over a top 2 ranked team since the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

On June 7, 2013, the U.S. beat Jamaica 2–1, the U.S.'s first-ever qualification victory at Jamaica. On June 11, the U.S. beat Panama 2–0 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle[40] in front of almost 41,000 fans, the seventh largest crowd for a World Cup Qualifier on U.S. soil.[41] The game also drew the second largest TV audience on ESPN for a U.S. World Cup Qualifier.[42] On June 18, the U.S. followed with a 1–0 victory over Honduras at Rio Tinto Stadium.[43] In July 2013, the U.S. hosted and played in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup where it went undefeated in the group stage and won with a 1–0 victory over Panama in the final,[44] a victory which represented a record 11th straight win.[45] A 4–3 victory over Bosnia in an international friendly match in Sarajevo[46] represented the 12th straight win for the USMNT, the longest winning streak for any team in the world at that time.[47][48] The match was also the USMNT's first-ever come-from-behind win in Europe.[49]

The 12 game winning streak ended September 6, 2013, when the U.S. lost to Costa Rica 3–1 at Costa Rica.[50] By defeating Mexico four days later, the U.S. clinched a spot in the 2014 World Cup.[51]

For the 2014 World Cup, the U.S. was drawn into Group G, along with Ghana, Germany, and Portugal.[52] The U.S. took revenge on the Ghanaians, winning 2–1.[53] They drew their second group game against Portugal 2-2. In the final game of the group stage, the U.S. fell to Germany 1-0, but moved on to the knockout stage on goal difference.[54] This was the first time that the team made two consecutive trips to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.[55] In the round of 16, the U.S. lost 2-1 to Belgium in extra time, despite goalkeeper Tim Howard making a World Cup record 15 saves[56][Note 1] during that match.[57]

Team image

Media coverage

ESPN has English-language rights to all friendlies and all home World Cup qualifiers from 2010 to 2014. Matches will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2. beIN Sport USA has English-language rights to all away World Cup qualifiers from 2010 to 2014.[58] Univision has Spanish-language broadcast rights to USA's national team matches from 2010 to 2014. Matches are televised on Univision, UniMás, or Galavision

Uniforms

Since their first unofficial game against Canada, the uniforms have frequently featured white tops with blue shorts. In 1950, the U.S. adopted a Peru style, featuring a diagonal stripe across the shirt. The stripe has been on third kits for 2003, 2004, and 2006, as well as the 2010 home, away and third kits. Adidas provided the uniforms for the United States from 1985 until 1994. Since 1995, Nike has been the uniform supplier.[59]

Rivalries

The teams of Mexico and the United States are widely considered as the two major powers of CONCACAF. Matches between the two nations often attract much media attention, public interest and comment in both countries.

American fans, dressed in red, cheer in bleachers as they hold a large American flag over themselves at a soccer match.
Sam's Army at a U.S. vs. Jamaica match.

Although the first match was played in 1934, their rivalry was not considered major until the 1980s, when the teams began to frequently compete in CONCACAF cups. On August 15, 2012, the United States defeated Mexico at Estadio Azteca in the first victory for the U.S. against Mexico on Mexican soil in 75 years.[60]

Supporters

The main supporter groups backing the United States men's national soccer team are Sam's Army and The American Outlaws. The two groups are usually put together in a "supporters' section" at U.S. home games. Sam's Army started shortly after the 1994 World Cup in the United States.[61] Sam's Army members wear red to matches, sing or chant throughout the match .They are so dedicated that they often bring huge American flags and other banners to the game.

RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. has hosted over 20 USMNT matches.

The American Outlaws was started in Lincoln, Nebraska as a local supporters' group.[62] The group's membership attempted to address a lack of consistency from game to game in supporter organization and social events on match days.[63] To achieve this goal the American Outlaws became a nationwide, non-profit, supporters' group. Some American Outlaws members wear American flag bandanas over their faces.

Home stadium

The United States does not have a national stadium, though international matches are usually played at various large venues around the country, the most popular being RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., where 21 matches have been held.

Coaching staff

Position Name Country Notes
Head coach Jürgen Klinsmann Germany Germany Previously head coach of the German national team and Bayern Munich.
Assistant coach Tab Ramos United States United States Concurrently technical director of U.S. youth soccer and coach of U.S. under-20 team
Assistant coach Andreas Herzog Austria Austria Former head coach of the Austria national under-21 football team.
Goalkeeping coach Chris Woods England England Former Norwich City and England goalkeeper.

Players

For all past and present players who have appeared for the national team, see United States men's national team players.

Current squad

The following 21 players have been called up for a friendly match against Mexico on April 15, 2015.
Caps and goals are updated as of April 15, 2015 after the match against Mexico.

# Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Nick Rimando June 17, 1979 21 0 United States Real Salt Lake
22 GK William Yarbrough March 20, 1989 2 0 Mexico León
2 DF DeAndre Yedlin July 9, 1993 15 0 England Tottenham Hotspur
3 DF Omar Gonzalez October 11, 1988 25 0 United States LA Galaxy
5 DF Matt Besler February 11, 1987 25 0 United States Sporting Kansas City
6 DF Brad Evans April 20, 1985 18 1 United States Seattle Sounders FC
11 DF Brek Shea February 28, 1990 32 4 United States Orlando City
14 DF Greg Garza August 16, 1991 7 0 Mexico Tijuana
19 DF Ventura Alvarado August 16, 1992 3 0 Mexico América
4 MF Michael Bradley July 31, 1987 96 13 Canada Toronto FC
7 MF Joe Corona July 9, 1990 15 2 Mexico Tijuana
9 MF Miguel Ibarra March 15, 1990 3 0 United States Minnesota United
10 MF Mix Diskerud October 2, 1990 28 5 United States New York City
13 MF Lee Nguyen October 7, 1986 6 0 United States New England Revolution
15 MF Kyle Beckerman April 23, 1982 43 1 United States Real Salt Lake
21 MF Perry Kitchen February 29, 1992 2 0 United States D.C. United
8 FW Jordan Morris October 26, 1994 3 1 United States Stanford University
16 FW Julian Green June 6, 1995 5 1 Germany Hamburger SV
17 FW Juan Agudelo November 23, 1992 19 3 United States New England Revolution
18 FW Chris Wondolowski January 28, 1983 27 9 United States San Jose Earthquakes
20 FW Gyasi Zardes September 2, 1991 5 0 United States LA Galaxy

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the United States squad within the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Bill Hamid November 25, 1990 2 0 United States D.C. United v.  Mexico; April 15, 2015
GK Cody Cropper February 16, 1993 0 0 England Southampton v.   Switzerland; March 31, 2015
GK Sean Johnson May 31, 1989 5 0 United States Chicago Fire v.  Panama; February 8, 2015
GK Jon Kempin April 8, 1993 0 0 United States San Antonio Scorpions v.  Panama; February 8, 2015 (preliminary)
GK Alex Bono April 25, 1994 0 0 Canada Toronto FC II v.  Chile; January 28, 2015 (preliminary)
GK Brad Guzan September 9, 1984 28 0 England Aston Villa v.  Colombia; November 14, 2014
GK Tim Howard March 6, 1979 104 0 England Everton 2014 FIFA World Cup
DF Michael Orozco February 7, 1986 15 3 Mexico Puebla v.  Mexico; April 15, 2015
DF John Brooks January 28, 1993 10 1 Germany Hertha BSC v.   Switzerland; March 31, 2015
DF Timothy Chandler March 29, 1990 19 0 Germany Eintracht Frankfurt v.   Switzerland; March 31, 2015
DF Tim Ream October 5, 1987 12 0 England Bolton Wanderers v.   Switzerland; March 31, 2015
DF Matt Hedges April 1, 1990 1 0 United States FC Dallas v.  Panama; February 8, 2015
DF Jermaine Jones November 3, 1981 50 3 United States New England Revolution v.  Panama; February 8, 2015
DF Shane O'Neill September 2, 1993 0 0 United States Colorado Rapids v.  Panama; February 8, 2015
DF Steve Birnbaum January 23, 1991 1 0 United States D.C. United v.  Chile; January 28, 2015
DF Christian Dean March 14, 1993 0 0 Canada Vancouver Whitecaps FC v.  Chile; January 28, 2015 (preliminary)
DF Oscar Sorto August 13, 1994 0 0 United States LA Galaxy v.  Chile; January 28, 2015 (preliminary)
DF Geoff Cameron July 11, 1985 31 1 England Stoke City v.  Republic of Ireland; November 18, 2014
DF DaMarcus Beasley RET May 24, 1982 121 17 United States Houston Dynamo v.  Colombia; November 14, 2014
DF Clarence Goodson May 17, 1982 46 5 United States San Jose Earthquakes 2014 FIFA World Cup (standby)
DF Michael Parkhurst January 24, 1984 25 0 United States Columbus Crew 2014 FIFA World Cup (standby)
MF Alejandro Bedoya April 29, 1987 39 2 France Nantes v.   Switzerland; March 31, 2015
MF Fabian Johnson December 11, 1987 30 1 Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach v.   Switzerland; March 31, 2015
MF Alfredo Morales May 12, 1990 8 0 Germany Ingolstadt 04 v.   Switzerland; March 31, 2015
MF Danny Williams March 8, 1989 14 0 England Reading v.   Switzerland; March 31, 2015
MF Wil Trapp January 15, 1993 1 0 United States Columbus Crew v.  Panama; February 8, 2015
MF Luis Gil November 14, 1993 2 0 United States Real Salt Lake v.  Panama; February 8, 2015
MF Dillon Serna March 25, 1994 0 0 United States Colorado Rapids v.  Panama; February 8, 2015
MF Dennis Flores September 21, 1993 0 0 Mexico León v.  Chile; January 28, 2015 (preliminary)
MF Marc Pelosi June 14, 1994 0 0 England Liverpool v.  Chile; January 28, 2015 (preliminary)
MF Graham Zusi August 18, 1986 28 3 United States Sporting Kansas City v.  Honduras; October 14, 2014
MF Emerson Hyndman April 9, 1996 1 0 England Fulham v.  Czech Republic; September 3, 2014
MF Brad Davis November 8, 1981 17 0 United States Houston Dynamo 2014 FIFA World Cup
MF Maurice Edu April 18, 1986 46 1 United States Philadelphia Union 2014 FIFA World Cup (standby)
FW Jozy Altidore November 6, 1989 80 27 Canada Toronto FC v.   Switzerland; March 31, 2015
FW Rubio Rubin March 1, 1996 3 0 Netherlands Utrecht v.   Switzerland; March 31, 2015
FW Clint Dempsey INJ March 9, 1983 112 40 United States Seattle Sounders FC v.  Denmark; March 25, 2015
FW Aron Jóhannsson November 10, 1990 10 3 Netherlands AZ v.  Denmark; March 25, 2015
FW Bobby Wood November 15, 1992 6 0 Germany Erzgebirge Aue v.  Chile; January 28, 2015
FW Tesho Akindele March 31, 1992 0 0 United States FC Dallas v.  Chile; January 28, 2015 (preliminary)
FW Julio Morales December 19, 1993 0 0 Mexico Tepic v.  Chile; January 28, 2015 (preliminary)
FW Landon Donovan RET March 4, 1982 157 57 Retired v.  Ecuador; October 10, 2014
FW Joe Gyau INJ September 16, 1992 2 0 Germany Borussia Dortmund II v.  Ecuador; October 10, 2014
FW Terrence Boyd February 16, 1991 12 0 Germany RB Leipzig 2014 FIFA World Cup (standby)

Notes:

Results and fixtures

For all past match results of the national team, see single-season articles and the team's results page.

2014

Further information: 2014 in American soccer

2015

Further information: 2015 in American soccer

US Soccer Schedule. USA: Fixtures and Results – FIFA.com

Player records

Active players are shown in Bold.

Most Caps
# Player Caps Goals Career
1 Cobi Jones 164 15 1992–2004
2 Landon Donovan 157 57 2000–2014
3 Jeff Agoos 134 4 1988–2003
4 Marcelo Balboa 127 13 1988–2000
5 DaMarcus Beasley 121 17 2001–2014
6 Clint Dempsey 112 40 2004–present
7 Claudio Reyna 112 8 1994–2006
8 Carlos Bocanegra 110 14 2001–2012
Paul Caligiuri 110 5 1984–1997
10 Eric Wynalda 106 34 1990–2000
Top Goalscorers
# Player Goals Caps Career
1 Landon Donovan 57 157 2000–2014
2 Clint Dempsey 40 112 2004–present
3 Eric Wynalda 34 106 1990–2000
4 Brian McBride 30 95 1993–2006
5 Jozy Altidore 27 80 2007–present
6 Joe-Max Moore 24 100 1992–2002
7 Bruce Murray 21 85 1985–1993
8 Eddie Johnson 19 63 2004–present
9 Earnie Stewart 17 101 1990–2004
DaMarcus Beasley 17 121 2001–2014

Competitive record

For the all-time record of the national team against opposing nations, see the team's all-time record page.

The United States regularly competes at the FIFA World Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The U.S. has also played in the FIFA Confederations Cup, Copa América by invitation, as well as several minor tournaments. The U.S. men's team played in the Summer Olympics when that tournament was considered a full international tournament, but since 1988, the men's Olympic event has been age-restricted, and participation has been by the United States men's national under-23 soccer team.

The best result for the United States in a World Cup came in 1930 when they reached the semifinals.[68] The best results in the modern era include the 2002 World Cup, when the U.S. reached the quarterfinals, and the 2010 World Cup, when the U.S. won its group.

In the Confederations Cup, the United States finished in third place in both 1992 and 1999, and were runner-up in the 2009 Confederations Cup. During the 2009 Confederations Cup the United States appeared in their first ever intercontinental tournament final.[69] In the semifinals, the United States upset top ranked Spain, 2–0, to advance to the final. In the final, the United States lost 3–2 to Brazil.

In regional competitions, the United States has won the CONCACAF Gold Cup five times, with their most recent title in 2013.[70] Their best ever finish at the Copa América came in a fourth place finish in 1995.[71]

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930Semi-finals[8]3rd320176
Italy 1934Round 116th100117
France 1938Withdrew
Brazil 1950Group stage10th310248
Switzerland 1954Did not qualify
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966
Mexico 1970
Germany 1974
Argentina 1978
Spain 1982
Mexico 1986
Italy 1990Group stage23rd300328
United States 1994Round of 1614th411234
France 1998Group stage32nd300315
South Korea Japan 2002Quarter-finals8th521277
Germany 2006Group stage25th301226
South Africa 2010Round of 1612th412155
Brazil 2014Round of 1615th411256
Total 10/203386193762

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Saudi Arabia 1992 Third place 3rd 2 1 0 1 5 5
Saudi Arabia 1995 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1997
Mexico 1999 Third place 3rd 5 3 0 2 5 3
South Korea Japan 2001 Did not qualify
France 2003 Group stage 7th 3 0 1 2 1 3
Germany 2005 Did not qualify
South Africa 2009 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 0 3 8 9
Brazil 2013 Did not qualify
Total 4/9 0 titles 12 6 1 8 19 20

Summer Olympics

Summer Olympics record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
1896–1904 No official tournaments took place
United Kingdom 1908 Did not enter
1912–1920 Did not qualify
France 1924 Round 2 14th 2 1 0 1 1 3
Netherlands 1928 Round 1 16th 1 0 0 1 2 11
Germany 1936 Round 1 16th 1 0 0 1 0 1
United Kingdom 1948 Group stage 16th 1 0 0 1 0 9
Finland 1952 Round 1 26th 1 0 0 1 0 8
Australia 1956 Quarter-finals 8th 1 0 0 1 1 9
1960–1968 Did not qualify
Germany 1972 Group stage 14th 3 0 1 2 0 10
Canada 1976 Did not qualify
Soviet Union 1980 Withdrew
United States 1984 Group stage 11th 3 1 1 1 5 2
South Korea 1988 Group stage 12th 2 0 1 2 3 5
1992 – present See United States national under-23 team
Total 14/27 0 Titles 31 7 8 16 34 82

CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Championship 1963–1989, CONCACAF Gold Cup since 1991.

CONCACAF Gold Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
1963–1967Did Not Enter
Costa Rica 1969Did not qualify
Trinidad and Tobago 1971
Haiti 1973
Mexico 1977
Honduras 1981
1985Group stage421143
1989Runners-up2nd843163
United States 1991Champions1st5410103
United StatesMexico 1993Runners-up2nd540155
United States 1996Third place3rd430183
United States 1998Runners-up2nd430162
United States 2000Quarter-finals5th321062
United States 2002Champions1st541091
United StatesMexico 2003Third place3rd540134
United States 2005Champions1st6420113
United States 2007Champions1st6600133
United States 2009Runners-up2nd6411128
United States 2011Runners-up2nd640296
United States 2013Champions1st6600204
United StatesCanada 2015Qualified
Total14/225 titles735410913250

CONMEBOL Copa América

CONMEBOL Copa América record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Ecuador 1993 Group stage 12th 3 0 1 2 3 6
Uruguay 1995 Fourth place 4th 6 2 1 3 6 7
Venezuela 2007 Group stage 12th 3 0 0 3 2 8
Total 3/43 0 titles 12 2 2 8 11 21

Honors

Major competitions

Third place (1): 1930
Quarterfinals (1): 2002
Runners-up (1): 2009
Third place (2): 1992, 1999
Winners (5): 1991, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013
Runners-up (5): 1989, 1993, 1998, 2009, 2011
Third place (2): 1996, 2003
Fourth place (1): 1995

Minor competitions

Gold medal (1): 1991
Bronze medal (2): 1959, 1999
Winners (3): 1992, 1995, 2000
Winners (1): 1989

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wilson, Paul (June 26, 2010). "USA 1–2 Ghana". The Guardian (London).
  2. ↑ The Yanks Are Coming USA-HON Commercial. U.S. Soccer. Retrieved on August 12, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Your comments on Team USA's win over Algeria and advancing to knockout round". The Star-Ledger (Newark). June 24, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  4. ↑ United States: FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. FIFA.com. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  5. ↑ "=> MATCH: 20.08.1916 Sweden – U.S.A. 2:3". Eu-football.info. August 20, 1916. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  6. ↑ "USA – Details of International Matches 1885–1969". RSSSF.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  7. ↑ Blevins, Dave (2012). The sports hall of fame encyclopedia : baseball, basketball, football, hockey soccer. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 745. ISBN 978-0-8108-6130-5. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "FIFA World Cup Final". FIFA. Retrieved August 20, 2014. There was no official World Cup third place match in 1930 and no official third place was awarded at the time; both the USA and Yugoslavia lost in the semi-finals. However using the overall tournament records, FIFA's official website lists the United States as the third place finishers in the 1930 World Cup.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Soccer Timeline". http://www.ussoccer.com/about/history/timeline''. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
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  16. ↑ "1950 World Cup vs. England – Biggest Wins in U.S. Soccer History – Photos". Sports Illustrated. AFP/Getty Images. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
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  18. ↑ Lewis, Michael (November 10, 2000). "Learning from history". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
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  34. ↑ Goff, Steve (June 25, 2009). "USA Gold Cup Roster". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  35. ↑ Davis, Noah (February 12, 2009). "United States Rain On Mexico's World Cup Hopes". Goal.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
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  41. ↑ Brewer, Jerry (June 11, 2013). "U.S. World Cup qualifier shows Seattle in its best soccer light". Seattle Times. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
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  44. ↑ "Shea’s goal wins U.S. the Gold Cup". Dayton Daily News. July 28, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  45. ↑ Farley, Richard (July 28, 2013). "Shea goal guides U.S. to fifth Gold Cup title, 1–0 win over Panama". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  46. ↑ "Bosnia-Herzegovina vs US match". ESPN FC. August 14, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
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  55. ↑ Bezjak, Lou (June 26, 2014). "U.S. run in World Cup bringing out a lot of Pee Dee soccer fans". The Morning News. Florence, South Carolina. Retrieved August 20, 2014. It’s the first time in U.S. soccer history it has advanced to the knockout stage of back-to-back World Cups.
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  57. ↑ "World Cup 2014: Tim Howard makes record number of saves". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). July 2, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  58. ↑ Kennedy, Paul (August 22, 2012). "BeIN Sport grabs U.S. away World Cup qualifiers". Soccer America. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
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  64. ↑ "It's still on: Ukraine confirm friendly in Cyprus vs. USMNT set to go ahead as scheduled". Major League Soccer. March 4, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
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  70. ↑ "U.S. wins fifth Gold Cup title". CONCACAF. July 28, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  71. ↑ Bell, Jack (October 24, 2012). "2016 Copa América in the U.S.". The New York Times. Retrieved August 20, 2014.

Notes

  1. ↑ Game moved from Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv due to 2014 Crimean crisis in Ukraine [64][65]
  1. ↑ FIFA's initial match statistics showed 16 saves, and many news sources continue to use this number. The official FIFA statistics were updated on July 5, 2014 to show 15 saves.

External links

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