UNITED STATES NATIONAL TEAM

music: Marvin Gaye- Star Spangled Banner

Respect

After decades of stagnation, soccer is enjoying a revival in United States and is evidenced by the fortunes of the US National Team.

The US has long participated in the world's game, appearing in the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay back in 1930. The US finished 3rd that year but unfortunatley it signaled the end of the US as being among the world's elite. They were smoked by Argentina in the semi finals and followed that with a lackluster 1934 World Cup where they dropped their only game to Italy 7-1. As the country had now embraced baseball and football as its most popular sports soccer was all but dead in America for the next 40 years, an upset win in 1950 over mighty England notwithstanding.

Two events, however, resurrected soccer in this country. 1) The first attempt to organize a professional soccer league. The North American Soccer League was formed in the mid 70's and featured such all time greats as Franz Beckenbauer from Germany, Holland's Johann Cryuff and the great Brazillian, Pele who would routinely play to 60,000 spectators. The league folded in the mid 80s but left an indelible impression on players like John Harkes, Tab Ramos and Eric Wynalda who would form the basis of the US Soccer on-field revival.

The second was when the US qualified for the 1990 World Cup on Paul Caliguri's "Shot Heard Round the World in Trinidad", its first since the England victory. It was an inexperienced team that made their way to Italy and even though they did not pick up a point, they acquitted themselves well against Italy. As the US had been awarded the 1994 World Cup, the US appeared to be awake in the world in international soccer.

The US followed over the next few years with results such as a 2-0 win over England, a strong showing in a 4-3 loss to Germany, winning in the 1991 Gold Cup and a 1-0 win over Mexico on the eve of the Cup.

The US reached new heights in the 1994 World Cup, fianlly winning a game, a shock 2-1 win over pre tournament outside favorite Colombia and hanging tough with eventual champion Brazil in the Round of 16. A 4th place finish in the Copa America (including a 3-0 pasting of Argentina) behind the stellar play of Eric Wynalda, John Harkes, Tom Dooley and Cobi Jones the following year confirmed that the United States was now on the map in world soccer.

After a superb showing at the 1995 Copa America the US' saw their fortunes dip at the 1998 World Cup. They bounced back with a quarterfinal finish at the 2002 World Cup and are the two-time defending Gold Cup champions.

The US' Landon Donovan is a superb talent who is the unquestioned leader of the side. However, other solid players such as Benny Feilhaber, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey and DaMarcus Beasley help make this a very solid side.

Landon Donovan has become the most recognizable face
in American soccer (fifaworldcup.com)

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