USA: the eternal underdog is becoming presentable

After Germany’s 2002 World Cup quarterfinal opponents had been determined, the fans back home rejoiced: “They’re the easiest team to beat of the lot.” But the USA proved to be a tough nut to crack. Only after a lot of luck and a headed goal from Michael Ballack did the eventual runners-up reach the semifinals. And the US team certainly hasn’t become any weaker since then.

Here you can find information about the star of the team ...

A quick look back in the past brings a typical feature of North American football to view: it’s chronically underestimated. One may argue about them being in sixth position on FIFA’s world rankings (August 2005) – ahead of leading football nations such as England, Spain, France, Germany and Italy – but they didn’t get there purely by chance. In the past ten years the USboys have gradually climbed up from 34th spot.

The country, where football is called soccer, will take part in the World Cup finals for the eight time. At the first finals in Uruguay in 1930 though they did enough to reach the semifinals after wins Belgium and Paraguay that was as far as they went as they lost to Argentina (6-1). In 1934 and 1950 they were eliminated at the preliminary group stage. Four decades followed in which the USA were considered to be an underdeveloped football nation. In 1968 an attempt was made to make football popular in the country by forming a professional league. But the die NASL (North American Soccer League), which did after all entice superstars like Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller, failed in 1984 because of the meagre spectator interest.

The national association US Soccer Federation“ (USSF) was founded way back in 1913, but football has always led a rather ignored existence in the shadows of American football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey. Only the awarding of the 1994 World Cup finals gave rise to hope for an upturn. The USSF were awarded the World Cup only on provision that a professional league be established. It was duly set up in 1996. The euphoria in the country led to them qualifying for the 1990 World Cup in Italy where Team USA however were handed some football lessons when losing to Czechoslovakia, Italy and Austria.

The round of the last 16 was reached on hole soil four years later where the team coached by Bora Milutinovic however lost 1-0 against eventual World Cup winners Brazil. In 1998 they returned home from France frustrated after three wretched defeats against Germany, Iran and Yugoslavia in the preliminary group stage. The reaching of the round containing the best eight teams in Japan and South Korea was the biggest World Cup achievement in the past 72 years for the 1991 and 2002 North and Central America champions (Gold Cup winners).

In the USA, the world’s most popular sport is something that’s more for women and children. Additionally there are no clubs in the European sense – only educational infrastructures such as colleges, high schools and universities. The current national coach Bruce Arena comes from the environment. When the 53-year-old from the New York suburb of Brooklyn was appointed as Steve Sampson’s successor after the World Cup disaster in October 1998, he had previously worked very successfully as the University of Virginia coach from 1978 to 1996. After the professional Major League Soccer (MLS) was formed in 1996, he led Washington D.C. United to two titles. In the meantime he has been in charge of the national team for 114 internationals, winning 64 and losing only 25.

With goalkeeper Kasey Keller (35, Borussia Mönchengladbach), Frankie Hejduk (31, Columbus Crew), Gregg Berhalter (32, Energie Cottbus), Eddie Lewis (31, Leeds United), Claudio Reyna (32, Manchester City), Brian McBride (33, Fulham), Pablo Mastroeni (29, Colorado Rapids), Landon Donovan (23, Los Angeles Galaxy), Steve Cherundolo (26, Hannover 96) and DaMarcus Beasley (23, PSV Eindhoven) ten of the stays of the present team were a part of the squad in Japan und South Korea. Though the regular team generally gel  perfectly, they are getting on a bit. The lack of new blood led to coach Arena giving seven newcomers a chance in the away match in Guatemala (0-0) on 7 September after the team had already qualified. “They can prove themselves under difficult conditions. If that happens they can help us out at the World Cup,” explained Arena.

Qualifying for the finals in 2006 went off without any hitches. Of the 16 matches, only one was lost (2-1 in Mexico). The most goals were scored by striker Ed Johnson (21, FC Dallas) and midfield general Landon Donovan, who each hit the back of the net on seven occasions. Both, together with midfielder DaMarcus Beasley from Eindhoven and the just 16-year-old Freddy Adu (Washington D.C. United), are the big hopes for the future of US football. Donovan, who was only able to accumulate 7 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen in the 2004/05 Bundesliga season, appears to have found happiness at Los Angeles Galaxy. Having scored ten goals in 17 games he is presently in fifth spot on the MLS scorer rankings.

On the whole, football finds itself to be clearly on the up in USA. The achievements of the junior sides and the women’s teams have not remained without effect. With the exception of the stars, most of the players in the national team now earn their money in the MLS. In 2004 an average of 15,559 spectators wanted to watch the twelve MLS teams. The spectator record set in 1996 will be difficult to beat. Back then a 92,216 crowd in Pasadena’s Rose Bowl Stadion saw the match between Los Angeles Galaxy and Tampa Bay Mutiny. In the meantime Galaxy – as does the new MLS team C.D. Chivas USA – plays its matches in the Home Depot Center in Carson, south of L.A., the first stadium purely for football in the USA and one that holds 27,000 spectators.