Teaching Soccer

Joe Gaetjens secured his place in US Soccer history on the 29th of June 1950. The goal secured a shock win over England, then the self-proclaimed kings of soccer. On Sunday 11th July 2010, just over sixty years to the day since Gaetjens famous striker, is it possible that another US soccer player could write his name into the history books by scoring the goal that puts the USA on top of the soccer world?

Whilst qualification for next summers tournament is not yet guaranteed, heading the group entering the last two rounds of matches and a trip to Honduras following a 2-1 win in Chicago may, if other results go their way, render the visit of Costa Rica in the final match immaterial. A 3-1 reverse in San Jose put a dent in the US’ hopes but the 4-0 thrashing handed out to their last opponents by their next opponents in August gave Bob Bradley’s boys renewed belief that securing their place for South Africa 2010 is in their own hands.

A number of teams have already been confirmed for the live World Cup finals to be hosted in South Africa and include some familiar faces and some more surprising. Brazil carry on their record of never missing a tournament and are also joined by Paraguay from the CONCACAF rounds. Another previous winner, Argentina, is yet to find consistent form and participation is far from a given. The World Cup has never been won by a country outside of South America and Europe with the latter bound to produce contenders for next years title. So far, they include1966 winners England, reigning European Champions Spain, and the Netherlands who are former European Champions and widely considered to be the best side never to have won the World Cup.

2002 joint hosts Japan and South Korea have both qualified as have Australia. North Korea take to the world stage for the first time since 1966 when they beat Italy. Ghana are the first African representatives to successfully come through qualifying, although South Africa are already there as hosts.  

The US MNT currently lie 11th on FIFA’s ranking list, lower than 3 of the above teams and with another 2-3 almost certain to join them in South Africa as a minimum. Yet form going into a World Cup is in no way a guide to the identity of the hands who will ultimately lift the trophy.

The US national team took part in the initial competitions in the 30s before appearing in the Brazilian World Cup of 1950. However, without an established domestic league and overshadowed by other popular sports in the US, soccer maintained only a minority following. That changed in 1990 when qualification for the finals, on the back of FIFA awarding the 1994 tournament to the US in return for a promise to establish what is now the MLS, when despite losing all three group games the US raised their head above the parapet in the soccer world. Three subsequent qualifications for the tournaments in France, Korea/Japan and Germany in 2006 have raised international expectations of US performance. Indeed, France ‘98 saw the USA reach the quarter final stage losing to eventual finalists Germany by a single goal in a controversial match.

The current batch of players to enter the national team come from leagues and competitions home and overseas. While record breaker Landon Donavan now plies his trade alongside England international and former Manchester United and Real Madrid megastar David Beckham at LA Galaxy, many of his international team-mates are sampling what the wider world can offer.

Some of the higher profile stars of the squad include DaMarcus Beasley of Rangers, Eddie Johnson and Clint Dempsey currently playing for Fulham and ex Man U keeper Tim Howard currently plying his trade with Everton. However, the list of US internationals on the rosters of foreign clubs continues to grow with representatives of the national squad also in Portugal, Denmark, Norway and Mexico to name but a further four.

With the tournament itself scheduled to take place during the South African winter, the players from North American but with European experience should find the climate to their liking. 1994 (USA) and 2002 (Japan/South Korea) apart, the tendency in more recent tournaments has been for teams from the host continent to win. Brazil have always been he exception to the rule with wins in ’94 and ’02 but the hosting of the FIFA World Cup in Africa for the first time produces an interesting question – who will acclimatise best and enjoy the most success?

The women’s equivalent of the USA national team have experienced success in the Olympics and World Cup tournaments in recent history. As the MLS increases the popularity of the game known to the rest of the globe as ‘football’, the ability of the men to step up to the plate and produce their own piece of history will only grow as more and more players register opening up soccer as a game to those athletes who would previously have been lost to track and field, basketball, baseball, hockey, football….the list goes on.

England’s proud national game has only produced one instance of World Champions in over a century of competition. Brazil’s poor but huge population has seen five separate triumphs. The enthusiasm for sport in the US coupled with the available population and economic prowess make them almost unique on the world stage. And if it all comes to fruition one day, a new world order may just have started in soccer terms.