United States National Soccer Team

Quick Facts:

Nickname – The Yanks, Team USA
Home Stadium – None
Confederation – CONCACAF
Manager – Bob Bradley
All time High Scorer: Landon Donovan with 42 goals in 120 appearances
Most Appearances: Cobi Jones with 164 appearances

World Cup History: The USA actually appeared in the very first FIFA World Cup in 1930, reaching the semi finals, only to be beaten by Argentina. In the seven appearances that have followed, their best result was the 2002 Quarterfinals.

Prior World Cup Results:

1930: 3rd place
1934: Round One
1950: Round One
1990: Round One
1994: Round of 16
1998: Round One
2002: Quarterfinals
2006: Round One

Analysis:

Though it has taken a long time for the USA national soccer team to gain respect when it comes to FIFA World Cup Competition, it is finally happening. The team currently merits a FIFA World Ranking of 11, the best in its history, and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is the 6^th straight World Cup the United States has qualified for.

The USA national team actually made their first appearance in a World Cup competition in 1930, playing in the first game ever played in World Cup competition against Belgium, whom they beat that day 3-0. So the histories of the World Cup and US participation go back right to very beginning, a fact many are not aware of.

In 1950 Team USA scored a victory so improbable at the time that many sports writers took the score they saw on the newswires 1-0 to be a typo, believing that a 1 had been dropped from the original 1-10. The team that the US beat was the then mighty England, who prior to the competition had beaten a team consisting of the “Best of Europe” 6-0 in a charity exhibition match.

However, 1950 was the last time the United States National team appeared on the World Cup stage again until 1990. The United States were picked by FIFA to host the 1994 World Cup, giving the team an automatic berth in the competition.

The team, made the second round of the competition that tournament, something they had failed to achieve in 1990, but they lost there to eventual champions Brazil.

The current US team is managed by Bob Bradley and his habit of maintaining an ever changing roster to test a number of players out has met with equal amounts of praise and criticism. A large number of the US players on the current squad now play top flight football in Europe, which has brought a new level of international experience to the team. Couple that with the talent of MLS stars like Landon Donovan and the squad looks good going into Johannesburg, whatever final 11 eventually takes the pitch in June.

Unfortunately, 23 year old striker Charlie Davis, who plays club football for French team Sochaux and has appeared on a number of the qualifying squads, including the pivotal games against Honduras on October 10^th 2009 that secured the team’s passage to South Africa, will not be amongst them.

On October 13^th he was the passenger in a vehicle involved in a fatal collision in Washington DC. He was there in advance of the USA vs Costa Rica game for which he was also selected. In the accident Davies’ 22 year old female friend was killed and he was seriously injured. Although he should pull through, his doctors say he will not be fit by June 2010.