United States men's national soccer team

United States
Nickname(s) USMNT
The Stars and Stripes[1]
The Yanks[2]
Association U.S. Soccer
Confederation CONCACAF
Head coach Bruce Arena
Captain Michael Bradley
Most caps Cobi Jones (164)
Top scorer Landon Donovan (57)
Home stadium Various
FIFA code USA
First colors
Second colors
FIFA ranking
Current 28 Decrease 4 (24 November 2016)
Highest 4[3] (April 2006)
Lowest 36 (July 2012)
Elo ranking
Current 33 Decrease 7 (15 November 2016)
Highest 2 (June & July 2015)
Lowest 85 (October 1968)
First international
 Sweden 2–3 United States 
(Stockholm, Sweden; August 20, 1916)[4]
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)[5]
World Cup
Appearances 10 (first in 1930)
Best result Third place, 1930[6]
Copa América
Appearances 4 (first in 1993)
Best result Fourth place, 1995 and 2016
CONCACAF Championship
& Gold Cup
Appearances 15 (first in 1985)
Best result Champions, 1991, 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2013
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 ten FIFA World Cups and hosted the 1994 edition. They achieved their best result when they reached the semi-final at the 1930 World Cup, finishing third; this remains 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. did not qualify for the World Cup again until 1990.

Following 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 all five World Cups since, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2002 tournament, where it lost to Germany 1–0. In 2009 it finished runner-up at the Confederations Cup, eliminating top-ranked Spain 2–0 in the semi-finals before losing to Brazil 3–2 in the final.

The team's current head coach is Bruce Arena, who took over in November 2016 and previously managed the team from 1998 to 2006.

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.[7] 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.

The first American 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.[8][9][10][11] 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.[12] 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.[13] 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 U.S. 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 U.S., 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,".[14] In the U.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.

Drought (1960s–1980s)

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 canceled 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.[15]

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.[16] Costa Rica won the match 1–0, and kept the United States from reaching its fourth World Cup finals.[17]

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. (1990s)

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.[18]

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.[19] Escobar was later murdered in his home country, possibly in retaliation for this mistake.[20] 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.[21] Despite this success, the team fired Bora in 1995, reportedly because he was not interested in administrative duties.[22]

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.[23] 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.[24]

Claudio Reyna during practice.

Success in the 2000s

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.[25] 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.[26] Following the tournament, Arena's contract was not renewed. After the national team remained dormant for the remainder of 2006, the federation hired former Chicago Fire, MetroStars and Chivas USA manager Bob Bradley in early 2007.

Bradley began his competitive career with the national team with the 2007 Gold Cup. In the final, the United States beat Mexico 2–1, which qualified it for the 2009 Confederations Cup.[27]

The U.S. had a notable performance at the 2009 Confederations Cup.[28] In the semifinals, the U.S. defeated Spain 2–0.[29] At the time, Spain was atop the FIFA World Rankings and was on a run of 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 after leading 2–0 at half time.[30] The United States then hosted the 2009 Gold Cup.[31] 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 in February 2009, a loss that extended Mexico's losing streak against America on U.S. soil to 11 matches.[32] Jozy Altidore became the youngest U.S. player to score a hat-trick, in a 3–0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.[33] Near the end of the summer of 2009, the United States lost 2–1 to Mexico at Estadio Azteca. 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.

2010–present

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 U.S. had won its group since 1930. In the round of 16, the U.S. was eliminated by Ghana, 2–1.[34] On FIFA's ranking of World Cup teams the U.S. finished in 12th place out of the 32-team field.

Clint Dempsey with the U.S. in 2011.

The United States again hosted the 2011 Gold Cup. The U.S. advanced past the group stage, and defeated Jamaica 2–0 in the quarerfinals and Panama 1–0 in the semifinals, to advance to its fourth consecutive Gold Cup final. In the final, the U.S. was beaten by Mexico 4–2. Later in the summer, Coach Bradley was relieved of his duties and former German national team manager Jürgen Klinsmann was hired as head coach.

The U.S. had some success in friendlies in 2012 and 2013. The U.S. team won 1–0 in Italy on February 29, 2012, the team's first ever win over Italy. On June 2, 2013, the U.S. played a friendly against Germany at a sold out RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., with the U.S. winning 4–3. 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, with Landon Donovan winning the tournament's golden ball award.

A 4–3 victory over Bosnia in an international friendly match in Sarajevo represented the 12th straight win for the USMNT, the longest winning streak for any team in the world at that time.[35][36][37][38] The 12 game winning streak ended September 6, 2013, when the U.S. lost to Costa Rica 3–1 in San Jose.[39] In 2013 the national team played the final round of qualification[40][41] By defeating Mexico in September, the U.S. clinched a spot in the 2014 World Cup.[42]

For the 2014 World Cup, the U.S. was drawn into Group G, along with Ghana, Germany, and Portugal.[43] The U.S. took revenge on the Ghanaians, winning 2–1.[44] 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.[45] This was the first time that the team made two consecutive trips to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.[46] 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[47][Note 1] during the match.[48]

The national team's next tournament under Klinsmann was the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. However, the U.S. were eliminated by Jamaica 2–1 in the semifinals, before losing to Panama on penalties in the third place match. The fourth-place finish was the worst Gold Cup performance by the national team since 2000, and the first time the team failed to make the tournament final since 2003. In the 2015 CONCACAF Cup playoff to determine the region's entry to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, the US were defeated 3–2 by Mexico at the Rose Bowl. In the summer of 2016, the United States played as hosts of Copa América Centenario. The U.S. topped Group A on goal difference against Colombia. The U.S. beat Ecuador 2–1 in the quarter-finals, but then fell to Argentina 4–0 and lost to Colombia again 1–0 in the third place match. They finished fourth at the Copa América, tying their best finish ever in 1995.

Following consecutive losses to Mexico and Costa Rica in the opening games of the final round of qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Klinsmann was removed as national team coach and technical director and replaced by previous U.S. manager Bruce Arena.


Team image

Media coverage

ESPN and Fox Sports 1 evenly split the English language rights for U.S. Soccer broadcasts from 2015 to 2022. Univision Deportes has the Spanish language rights to all U.S. Soccer broadcasts from 2015 to 2022.[49]

Uniforms

Since their first unofficial game against Canada, the most common U.S. uniform has been white tops with blue shorts. In 1950, the U.S. adopted a Peru-styled diagonal stripe or "sash" 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. An additional color scheme based on the U.S. flag has been occasionally used (most prominently in the 1994 World Cup and 2012–13 qualifiers as well the 1983 Team America franchise of the North American Soccer League) comprising a shirt with red and white stripes with blue shorts.

Adidas provided the uniforms for the United States from 1985 until 1994. Since 1995, Nike has been the uniform supplier.[50]

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.[51]

Ever since their first meeting in 1934, the two teams have met 65 times, with Mexico leading the overall series 33–18–14 (W–L–D), outscoring the U.S. 131–75. However, since the 1990s, the tide began to change due to a rapid growth of soccer in the United States. During this decade, Mexico continued to hold an edge over their arch-rivals but since the 2000s the series has favored the U.S. 13–6–5 (W–L–D).

In recent years, the United States has begun to develop a rivalry with Costa Rica, the third strongest team in CONCACAF.[52][53][54][55][56]

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.[57] 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. Both The American Outlaws and Sam's Army both commonly wear soccer supporter scarves.[58] Some branches of the American Outlaws have their own scarves specific to their branch.[59]

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.[60] The group's membership attempted to address a lack of consistency from game to game in supporter organization and social events on match days.[61] 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; they instead play their home matches at numerous venues.[62] Overall, the team has played in 101 venues in 26 states and the District of Columbia. RFK Stadium in the capital city of Washington, D.C. has hosted more national team matches than any other stadium, hosting 21 times. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California near Los Angeles, is also a notable stadium, hosting the national team 17 times, as well as hosting the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, and the 1984 Olympic Gold Medal Match.

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach United States Arena, BruceBruce Arena
Associate head coach United States Sarachan, DaveDave Sarachan
Assistant coach United States Onalfo, CurtCurt Onalfo
Assistant coach United States Noonan, PatPat Noonan
Assistant coach United States Arena, KennyKenny Arena
Goalkeeping coach United States Reis, MattMatt Reis

Roster

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 23 players were selected for the World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica on November 15, 2016.[63]
Caps and goals are updated as of November 15, 2016 after the match against Costa Rica.

0#0 Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Brad Guzan (1984-09-09) September 9, 1984 53 0 England Middlesbrough
12 1GK Ethan Horvath (1995-06-09) June 9, 1995 1 0 Norway Molde
22 1GK William Yarbrough (1989-03-20) March 20, 1989 3 0 Mexico León
2 2DF DeAndre Yedlin (1993-07-09) July 9, 1993 43 0 England Newcastle United
3 2DF Omar Gonzalez (1988-10-11) October 11, 1988 35 1 Mexico Pachuca
5 2DF Matt Besler (1987-02-11) February 11, 1987 39 1 United States Sporting Kansas City
6 2DF John Brooks (1993-01-28) January 28, 1993 29 3 Germany Hertha BSC
14 2DF Michael Orozco (1986-02-07) February 7, 1986 29 4 Mexico Tijuana
15 2DF Steve Birnbaum (1991-01-23) January 23, 1991 9 1 United States D.C. United
20 2DF Cameron Carter-Vickers (1997-12-31) December 31, 1997 0 0 England Tottenham Hotspur
21 2DF Timothy Chandler (1990-03-29) March 29, 1990 29 1 Germany Eintracht Frankfurt
23 2DF Fabian Johnson (1987-12-11) December 11, 1987 54 2 Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach
4 3MF Michael Bradley (captain) (1987-07-31) July 31, 1987 126 15 Canada Toronto FC
10 3MF Christian Pulisic (1998-09-18) September 18, 1998 11 3 Germany Borussia Dortmund
11 3MF Lynden Gooch (1995-12-24) December 24, 1995 2 0 England Sunderland
13 3MF Jermaine Jones (1981-11-03) November 3, 1981 67 4 United States Colorado Rapids
16 3MF Sacha Kljestan (1985-09-09) September 9, 1985 51 6 United States New York Red Bulls
18 3MF Julian Green (1995-06-06) June 6, 1995 8 3 Germany Bayern Munich
19 3MF Graham Zusi (1986-08-18) August 18, 1986 42 5 United States Sporting Kansas City
7 4FW Bobby Wood (1992-11-15) November 15, 1992 29 8 Germany Hamburger SV
8 4FW Alan Gordon (1981-10-16) October 16, 1981 2 0 United States LA Galaxy
9 4FW Aron Jóhannsson (1990-10-26) October 26, 1990 19 4 Germany Werder Bremen
17 4FW Jozy Altidore (1989-11-06) November 6, 1989 99 37 Canada Toronto FC

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 Tim Howard (1979-03-06) March 6, 1979 111 0 United States Colorado Rapids v.  Mexico; November 11, 2016 INJ
GK David Bingham (1989-10-19) October 19, 1989 2 0 United States San Jose Earthquakes v.  New Zealand; October 11, 2016
GK Bill Hamid (1990-11-25) November 25, 1990 2 0 United States D.C. United v.  New Zealand; October 11, 2016
GK Zack Steffen (1995-06-02) June 2, 1995 0 0 United States Columbus Crew v.  Puerto Rico; May 22, 2016
GK Nick Rimando (1979-06-17) June 17, 1979 21 0 United States Real Salt Lake Copa América Centenario PRE
GK Sean Johnson (1989-05-31) May 31, 1989 5 0 United States Chicago Fire v.  Canada; February 5, 2016
GK Luis Robles (1984-05-11) May 11, 1984 2 0 United States New York Red Bulls v.  Iceland; January 31, 2016
DF Kellyn Acosta (1995-07-24) July 24, 1995 4 0 United States FC Dallas v.  New Zealand; October 11, 2016
DF Tim Parker (1993-02-23) February 23, 1993 0 0 Canada Vancouver Whitecaps FC v.  New Zealand; October 11, 2016
DF Geoff Cameron (1985-07-11) July 11, 1985 49 4 England Stoke City v.  Cuba; October 7, 2016
DF Edgar Castillo (1986-10-08) October 8, 1986 18 0 Mexico Monterrey Copa América Centenario
DF Tim Ream (1987-10-05) October 5, 1987 21 1 England Fulham v.  Puerto Rico; May 22, 2016
DF Eric Lichaj (1988-11-17) November 17, 1988 11 0 England Nottingham Forest v.  Puerto Rico; May 22, 2016
DF Matt Miazga (1995-07-19) July 19, 1995 2 0 Netherlands Vitesse v.  Puerto Rico; May 22, 2016
DF Brad Evans (1985-04-20) April 20, 1985 26 1 United States Seattle Sounders FC Copa América Centenario PRE
DF Ventura Alvarado (1992-08-16) August 16, 1992 13 0 Mexico Santos Laguna Copa América Centenario PRE
DF Brandon Vincent (1994-05-01) May 1, 1994 1 0 United States Chicago Fire v.  Canada; February 5, 2016
DF Eric Miller (1993-01-15) January 15, 1993 0 0 United States Colorado Rapids v.  Canada; February 5, 2016
DF Matt Polster (1993-06-08) June 8, 1993 0 0 United States Chicago Fire v.  Canada; February 5, 2016
DF Marc Pelosi (1994-06-14) June 14, 1994 0 0 United States San Jose Earthquakes v.  Iceland; January 31, 2016 PRE
MF Alejandro Bedoya (1987-04-29) April 29, 1987 55 2 United States Philadelphia Union v.  Costa Rica; November 15, 2016 PRE
MF Caleb Stanko (1993-07-23) July 23, 1993 1 0 Liechtenstein FC Vaduz v.  Costa Rica; November 15, 2016 PRE
MF Danny Williams (1989-03-08) March 8, 1989 22 2 England Reading v.  New Zealand; October 11, 2016
MF Perry Kitchen (1992-02-29) February 29, 1992 5 0 Scotland Heart of Midlothian v.  New Zealand; October 11, 2016
MF Paul Arriola (1995-02-05) February 5, 1995 3 2 Mexico Tijuana v.  New Zealand; October 11, 2016
MF Kyle Beckerman (1982-04-23) April 23, 1982 58 1 United States Real Salt Lake v.  Trinidad and Tobago; September 6, 2016
MF Darlington Nagbe (1990-07-19) July 19, 1990 10 1 United States Portland Timbers v.  Trinidad and Tobago; September 6, 2016
MF Alfredo Morales (1990-05-12) May 12, 1990 13 0 Germany Ingolstadt 04 v.  Puerto Rico; May 22, 2016
MF Emerson Hyndman (1996-04-09) April 9, 1996 2 0 England Bournemouth v.  Puerto Rico; May 22, 2016
MF Mix Diskerud (1990-10-02) October 2, 1990 38 6 United States New York City FC Copa América Centenario PRE
MF Lee Nguyen (1986-10-07) October 7, 1986 9 0 United States New England Revolution Copa América Centenario PRE
MF Wil Trapp (1993-01-15) January 15, 1993 2 0 United States Columbus Crew v.  Canada; February 5, 2016
MF Tony Tchani CMR (1989-04-13) April 13, 1989 1 0 United States Columbus Crew v.  Canada; February 5, 2016
MF Fatai Alashe (1993-10-21) October 21, 1993 0 0 United States San Jose Earthquakes v.  Iceland; January 31, 2016 PRE
FW Jordan Morris (1994-10-26) October 26, 1994 12 1 United States Seattle Sounders FC v.  Mexico; November 11, 2016 INJ
FW Juan Agudelo (1992-11-23) November 23, 1992 21 3 United States New England Revolution v.  New Zealand; October 11, 2016
FW Terrence Boyd (1991-02-16) February 16, 1991 14 0 Germany RB Leipzig v.  New Zealand; October 11, 2016
FW Chris Wondolowski (1983-01-28) January 28, 1983 35 11 United States San Jose Earthquakes v.  Cuba; October 7, 2016
FW Rubio Rubin (1996-03-01) March 1, 1996 3 0 Netherlands FC Utrecht v.  Trinidad and Tobago; September 6, 2016
FW Clint Dempsey (1983-03-09) March 9, 1983 130 52 United States Seattle Sounders FC Copa América Centenario
FW Gyasi Zardes (1991-09-02) September 2, 1991 31 6 United States LA Galaxy Copa América Centenario
FW Fafà Picault (1991-02-23) February 23, 1991 1 0 Germany FC St. Pauli v.  Puerto Rico; May 22, 2016
FW Amando Moreno (1995-09-10) September 10, 1995 0 0 Mexico Tijuana v.  Puerto Rico; May 22, 2016
FW Ethan Finlay (1990-08-06) August 6, 1990 3 0 United States Columbus Crew Copa América Centenario PRE
FW Jerome Kiesewetter (1993-02-09) February 9, 1993 2 0 Germany Fortuna Düsseldorf v.  Canada; February 5, 2016
FW Khiry Shelton (1993-06-26) June 26, 1993 0 0 United States New York City FC v.  Canada; February 5, 2016

Notes:

Results and schedule

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

2016

Further information: 2016 in American soccer

2017

Further information: 2017 in American soccer


Player records

As of November 15, 2016 v Costa Rica. 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 Clint Dempsey 130 52 2004–0000
5 Marcelo Balboa 127 13 1988–2000
6 Michael Bradley 126 15 2006–0000
7DaMarcus Beasley 123 17 2001–2015
8 Claudio Reyna 112 8 1994–2006
9 Tim Howard 111 0 2002–0000
10Carlos Bocanegra 110 14 2001–2012
Paul Caligiuri 110 5 1984–1997
Top goalscorers
# Player Goals Caps Career
1 Landon Donovan 57 157 2000–2014
2 Clint Dempsey 52 130 2004–0000
3 Jozy Altidore 37 99 2007–0000
4 Eric Wynalda 34 106 1990–2000
5 Brian McBride 30 95 1993–2006
6 Joe-Max Moore 24 100 1992–2002
7 Bruce Murray 21 85 1985–1993
8 Eddie Johnson 19 63 2004–2014
9 Earnie Stewart 17 101 1990–2004
DaMarcus Beasley 17 123 2001–2015

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 have played in the Summer Olympics since 1924. 1924 to 1976 when the U.S. national team played, only amateur players were allowed on olympic teams per olympic rules. From when that tournament became a full international tournament after the IOC allowed full national teams from outside FIFA CONMEBOL & UEFA confederations in 1984, the U.S. national team results dramatically improved. Ever since 1992 the men's Olympic event has been age-restricted (under 23 plus three overage players), 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.[65] 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. The worst result in the modern era was a first round elimination in 1990, 1998, and 2006.

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.[66] 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.[67] Their best ever finish at the Copa América was fourth-place at the 1995 and 2016 editions.[68][69]

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930Third Place[6]3rd 320176
Italy 1934Round 116th100117
France 1938Withdrew
Brazil 1950Group Stage10th310248
Switzerland 1954Did Not Qualify
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966
Mexico 1970
West 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
Total10/200 titles3386193762

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Saudi Arabia 1992Third Place 3rd210155
Saudi Arabia 1995Did Not Qualify
Saudi Arabia 1997
Mexico 1999Third Place 3rd530253
South Korea Japan 2001Did Not Qualify
France 2003Group Stage7th301213
Germany 2005Did Not Qualify
South Africa 2009Runners-up 2nd520389
Brazil 2013Did Not Qualify
Russia 2017
Total4/100 titles156181920

Summer Olympics

Summer Olympics record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Amateur
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 Round 1 16th 1 0 0 1 0 9
Finland 1952 Round 1 26th 1 0 0 1 0 8
Australia 1956 Round 1 8th 1 0 0 1 1 9
1960–1968 Did not qualify
West Germany 1972 Group Stage 14th 3 0 1 2 0 10
Canada 1976 Did not qualify
National Team
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
Total 9/18 0 Titles 15 2 3 11 12 58
Under-23 National Team
1992 – present See United States national under-23 team

CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Championship 1963–1989, CONCACAF Gold Cup 1991–present

CONCACAF Gold Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
El Salvador 1963Did Not Enter
Guatemala 1965
Honduras 1967
Costa Rica 1969Did Not Qualify
Trinidad and Tobago 1971Did Not Enter
Haiti 1973Did Not Qualify
Mexico 1977
Honduras 1981
1985Group Stage6th421143
1989Runners-up2nd843163
United States 1991Champions1st5410103
United States Mexico 1993Runners-up2nd540155
United States 1996Third Place3rd430183
United States 1998Runners-up2nd430162
United States 2000Quarter-Finals5th321062
United States 2002Champions1st541091
United States Mexico 2003Third Place3rd540134
United States 2005Champions1st6420113
United States 2007Champions1st6600133
United States 2009Runners-up2nd6411128
United States 2011Runners-up2nd640296
United States 2013Champions1st6600204
United States Canada 2015Fourth Place4th6321124
Total15/235 titles7957121014455

Copa América

South American Championship 1916–1967, Copa América 1975–present

CONMEBOL Copa América record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
1916–1991Did Not Enter
Ecuador 1993 Group Stage 12th 3 0 1 2 3 6
Uruguay 1995 Fourth Place 4th 6 2 1 3 6 7
1997–2004Did Not Enter
Venezuela 2007 Group Stage 12th 3 0 0 3 2 8
2011–2015Did Not Enter
United States 2016 Fourth Place 4th 6 3 0 3 7 8
Total 4/45 0 titles 18 5 2 11 18 29

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 (2): 1995, 2016

Minor competitions

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. Archived May 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ United States: FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. FIFA.com. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  4. ↑ "USA – Details of International Matches 1885–1969". RSSSF.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  5. ↑ 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 January 4, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "FIFA World Cup 1930". FIFA. Retrieved May 31, 2016. There was no official World Cup third place match in 1930 and no official third place was awarded at the time; both the United States 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.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Soccer Timeline". US Soccer Timeline. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  8. ↑ "FIFA: USA – Paraguay match report". FIFA. Retrieved June 9, 2006.
  9. ↑ "Bert Patenaude". CNN. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Planet World Cup – World Cup Trivia". PlanetWorldCup.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2006.
  11. ↑ "The Football Association 20 World Cup Facts". The FA. Retrieved June 9, 2006.
  12. ↑ "FIFA World Cup hat-tricks" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2006.
  13. ↑ "1930 FIFA World Cup Uruguay – Awards". FIFA. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  14. ↑ "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.
  15. ↑ Yannis, Alex (April 22, 1985). "U.S. Soccer Team Hindered". The New York Times. nytimes.com. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  16. ↑ Lewis, Michael (November 10, 2000). "Learning from history". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  17. ↑ "World Cup 1986 Qualifying". Recreation Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  18. ↑ Lovejoy, Joe (June 10, 1993). "Football: England's new low as U.S. pile on the misery: Dooley and Lalas add a further chapter to Taylor's tale of woe as the Americans go one better than their forebears in Belo Horizonte". The Independent. London.
  19. ↑ Lewis, Michael (July 1, 2000). "Escobar's memory lives on". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
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  25. ↑ "Match Report: Italy – USA". FIFA. June 17, 2006. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2006.
  26. ↑ "Ghana 2–1 USA". BBC Sport. June 22, 2006. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  27. ↑ Dodd, Mike (June 25, 2007). "U.S. continues dominance vs. Mexico in Gold Cup final". USA Today. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Egypt 3–0 USA". BBC Sport. June 21, 2009. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  29. ↑ Chowdhury, Saj (June 25, 2009). "Spain 2–0 United States". BBC Sport. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  30. ↑ Dawkes, Phil (June 28, 2007). "United States 3–2 Brazil". BBC Sport. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  31. ↑ Goff, Steve (June 25, 2009). "USA Gold Cup Roster". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  32. ↑ 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.
  33. ↑ Blum, Ronald (April 1, 2009). "Altidore hat trick against Trinidad & Tobago". USA Today. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  34. ↑ Goff, Steven (June 27, 2010). "USA vs. Ghana: In World Cup 2010, Americans eliminated by Ghana". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Bosnia-Herzegovina vs US match". ESPN FC. August 14, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  36. ↑ Kennedy, Patrick (August 14, 2013). "USA closes in on Spanish record". Soccer America. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  37. ↑ Carr, Paul; Larcada, Albert (August 14, 2013). "5 Aside: Altidore hat trick powers U.S. comeback". ESPN FC. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  38. ↑ "Jozy Altidore rallies U.S. in Bosnia". ESPN FC. Associated Press. August 14, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  39. ↑ "U.S. win streak ends in Costa Rica". ESPN FC. September 6, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  40. ↑ Petterson, Joel (June 9, 2013). "It's been a long, successful road back to Seattle for U.S. Soccer". Seattle Times. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  41. ↑ Vertelney, Seth (June 19, 2013). "USA puts one foot in Brazil after third straight Hexagonal win". Goal.com. Yahoo! Sports.
  42. ↑ "Donovan helps U.S. book Brazil berth", ESPN FC, September 11, 2013, retrieved September 11, 2013
  43. ↑ Hinnen, Jerry (December 6, 2013). "US World Cup draw: The worst of all possible worlds (almost)". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  44. ↑ Trecker, Jamie (June 16, 2014). "Team USA stuns World Cup rival Ghana behind Brooks' late winner". Fox Sports. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  45. ↑ Williams, Ashley M. (June 26, 2014). "USA advances, despite loss to Germany". USA Today. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  46. ↑ 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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  52. ↑ Trahan, Kevin. "THE UNLIKELY RIVALRY BETWEEN COSTA RICA AND THE U.S. BEGAN WITH A SNOW GAME". Vice Sports. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
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  54. ↑ Davis, Spenser. "No changes to USMNT lineup against Costa Rica". Sounder at Heart. SB Nation. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
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  57. ↑ Weinbach, John (June 9, 2006). "The Trials of the U.S. Soccer Fan". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
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  63. ↑ http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2016/11/06/20/22/161106-mnt-klinsmann-calls-26-players-for-start-of-2016-hex-vs-mexico-in-columbus
  64. ↑ "Match-ups Confirmed for Final Round of CONCACAF Qualifying for FIFA World Cup Russia 2018". CONCACAF.com. September 7, 2016.
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  67. ↑ "U.S. wins fifth Gold Cup title". CONCACAF. July 28, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  68. ↑ Bell, Jack (October 24, 2012). "2016 Copa América in the U.S.". The New York Times. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  69. ↑ "USA Defeated 1–0 by Colombia in 2016 Copa America Centenario Third Place Match". United States Soccer Federation. June 25, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.

Notes

    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.
    1. 1 2 Exact dates of Matchdays 5 and 6 are dependent on the final match schedule of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, which Mexico will participate in.[64]
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