US eager to please the world
By Oscar Pilipili And Agencies
US participation in international competitions is as old as the sport of football.
They have competed at the Olympics, Fifa World Cup, Confederations Cup, and Concacaf tournaments.
The best result for the US in a World Cup came in 1930 when they finished third.
The US took the silver and bronze medals at the 1904 Olympics.
In the Confederations Cup, the US finished third in both the 1992 and 1999 editions.
In regional competitions, the US had never finished higher than second until the 1991 Gold Cup.
Since then, they have won four titles. In 1995, the US finished fourth at the Copa AmÈrica.
In the 1930 World Cup, the US won its first match in World Cup history, beating Belgium 3-0 at the Estadio Gran Parque Central in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Greatest upsets
In the 1950 World Cup, the US lost its first match 3-1 against Spain, but then won 1-0 against England in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in football history, England having recently beaten the rest of Europe 6-1 in an exhibition match.
Defeat to Chile by a 5-2 margin in the third group match saw the US eliminated from the tournament.
It would be four decades before the United States would again make another appearance at the World Cup.
Having qualified automatically as host, the US opened its tournament schedule with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in Michigan, the first World Cup game played indoors.
In its second game, the US faced Colombia, then ranked fourth in the world, at the Rose Bowl.
Aided by an own goal from AndrÈs Escobar, who was later murdered in his home country it is believed for this mistake, the US won 2-1.
Despite a 1-0 loss to Romania in its final group game, the US made it to the knockout round for the first time since 1930.
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, and so finished in last place in its group, and 32nd in the field of 32.
The United States, now led by successful MLS and college coach Bruce Arena, won their second Gold Cup as hosts of the 2002 tournament.
Arena used the competition as preparation for his team’s campaign in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. The establishment of Major League Soccer had an effect on the development of the national team similar to that of the NASL during the 1980s.
Young stars
Landon Donovan and Da Marcus Beasley emerged as talented, young stars, while experienced veterans like Brian McBride, Cobi Jones, and Claudio Reyna entered the prime of their careers.
These players helped form the core of the team that earned the United States’ best finish at the World Cup since 1930.
In the Group Stage, a 3-2 win over Portugal, a 1-1 draw with co-host and eventual fourth place finisher, South Korea, and a 3-1 defeat to already eliminated Poland were sufficient to reach the knockout rounds.
In the Round of 16 the US faced continental rivals Mexico for the first time in a World Cup, defeating them 2-0.
In the quarterfinals the United States lost 1-0 to eventual runners-up Germany.
The United States followed up this success by winning its third Gold Cup, and second out of three, in 2005.