Ranking the USMNT World Cup Squads
It's a magical sentence that we only get to utter every four years: there's a World Cup being played this year!
Of course, if you were a soccer fan, you were already well aware of that fact. And if you're not a soccer fan but are a frequent visitor of this blog, you will be well aware of the fact from here through December, because I will make sure of it. This is the best sporting event in the universe; one month out of the year where the entire globe stops what they're doing to tune in and watch 32 nations battle for the top prize in the planet's most popular sport. If you're not well-versed in the draw of international football, think "Summer Olympics but with a larger audience." Seriously. Or alternatively, "The Super Bowl...but one for every day of the week for a month straight."
Sadly, because we can't have nice things, this year's World Cup is mired in controversy. FIFA, whose depths of corruption are nearly unrivaled by any other corporation or organization in the world, granted this tournament's hosting rights, a decision they later admitted was made solely off of bribes. And if you think hosting the world's biggest sporting event in a tiny desert nation in the middle of summer sounds like a terrible idea. Qatar's hosting bid in 2010 initially promised they would find the technology to build climate-controlled stadiums. When, several years later, they admitted this would be impossible, FIFA had the opportunity to do the sensible thing and take hosting rights away from a nation that had not fulfilled its promise, had bought its victory with bribes, and had fielded accusations of using slave labor to build the stadiums. But FIFA will FIFA, and they instead decided to just move the tournament to the Winter months, prolonging our anticipation for this tournament by 5 months. Sigh.
Fortunately, there is one thing those of us stateside get to celebrate: the USA will be back at the World Cup! After the embarrassment of missing out on the tournament altogether four years ago, an almost entirely new generation of players, led by a new manager, rose up and secured qualification this past March. So, on the day that would have seen the start of the World Cup in any other year, I figured I would break down the performances of all 10 United States men's teams that came before this one, from worst to best:
10. France 1998
Group Stage:
0 points (-4 goal differential)
0 Win, 0 Draws, 3 Losses
4th place in group
Knockout Stage:
None
The 1994 World Cup paved the runway for soccer in America to fully take off. At the very next World Cup, however, the metaphorical plane crashed before even leaving the runway. Four years after the U.S. hosted a World Cup that smashed attendance records, gave birth to a massive rise in the sport's domestic popularity, and saw its host nation make a surprise run to the knockout stages, the largest American audience yet tuned in to see if all this hype was justified. Unfortunately, they found out very starkly that it was not. Chemistry issues tanked an otherwise talented squad; star player John Harkes was dismissed just months before the tournament due to an alleged affair with a teammate's wife, and manager Steve Sampson struggled to balance the mixture of veterans and talented youngsters in the squad. The Americans exited the Cup having been beaten by all three of Germany, Yugoslavia, and even Iran, all while notching a grand total of 1 goal.
9. Italy 1934
Group Stage:
None
Knockout Stage:
Round of 16: Lost 1-7 to Italy
It's hard to know how to rank a team whose entire World Cup was one match. Though the group stage format has been in place for most if not all of the World Cups in our lifetime, the tournament has actually gone through many changes in format over the years, and all the way back in 1934, there was no group stage at all. With 16 nations accepting invites to Mussolini's Italy for the second tournament ever, they decided to simply go straight into a 16-team single elimination playoff. This obviously makes it hard to compare America's side with all others that got to at least play 3 matches, but still, the one match sample size wasn't great; a 6-goal demolition sent them home in the first round. That said, I'll give them a little bit of a pass for being unluckily drawn against hosts and eventual champions.
8. Italy 1990
Group Stage:
0 points (-6 goal differential)
0 Win, 0 Draws, 3 Losses
4th place in group
Knockout Stage:
None
In terms of overall group stage performance, this was certainly the worst an American side has done at the World Cup. The 1990 team lost all 3 group stage matches, starting with a 5-1 destruction by Czechoslovakia. However, the importance of this 1990 team can't be understated; simply getting back to the tournament was a massive achievement in itself. The U.S. hadn't qualified for the Cup in 40 years, and at a time when soccer was still largely an amateur sport stateside, getting back to the grandest stage of all four years before they were set to host the tournament laid an important groundwork. Besides, they get bonus points for recovering from their opening match shellacking to be competitive against not only a solid Austria team but hosts (and eventual semifinalists) Italy.
7. Germany 2006
Group Stage:
1 point (-4 goal differential)
0 Win, 1 Draw, 2 Losses
4th place in group
Knockout Stage:
None
Had 1998 not been such a spectacular failure, this team would probably win the title for biggest disappointment, relative to expectations. The Americans came into the tournament in the midst of a mini-'Golden Era.' Building off their surprise success in the 2002 Cup, the USMNT proceeded to win two of the next three Gold Cups, soar through World Cup qualifying, and enter the final tournament ranked in the Top 10 globally for the first time in history. Expectations were at an all-time high, which made their massive fart of a group stage performance all-the-more depressing. They deserve a little leniency for being drawn into the Group of Death, as well as a little credit for being the only team to hold eventual champions Italy to a draw (at least until France took them to penalty kicks in the Final). But that invigorating 1-1 draw was small consolation when it was sandwiched between being picked apart 3-0 by the Czech Republic and then getting eliminated by a Ghana team that, at least on paper, they should have matched up against extremely favorably.
6. Brazil 1950
Group Stage:
2 points (-4 goal differential)
1 Win, 0 Draws, 2 Losses
4th place in group
Knockout Stage:
None
Despite having appeared in two of the three tournaments played already, and doing quite well in at least one of them, the U.S. entered the 1950 World Cup as massive underdogs, with only Bolivia ranked lower than them out of all the qualified teams. Drawn into a group with two nations ranked in the Top 10, they were expected to be the chum in the water for their opponents. All of this is why, despite finishing last place in the group, I consider this team to be the best of the five that did not progress past the first round. Or put another way, the "least bad team." The underdog Americans actually handled themselves amazingly well at the start of proceedings: though they would lose 3-1 to Spain in their opener, they held the lead against the 9th-ranked team for much of the match, before being undone by a trio of Spanish goals in the last 10 minutes. Next up would be 2nd-ranked England, favored by many to bring home their first ever World Cup title. And in case you don't know what came next, I'll give you a hint: there's a Wikipedia entry about that match alone. The U.S. won that one, 1-0, resulting in one of the most famous upsets in tournament history, one of the most famous wins in USMNT history, and definitely the most infamous loss in England's history. Unfortunately, the storybook had an anticlimactic ending; the Americans came out devastatingly flat in their last group match, losing 5-2 to Chile and ruining their longshot bid at a knockout stage berth. Still, all in all, they made their country proud, given the little-to-no expectations placed to them at the start.
5. United States 1994
Group Stage:
4 points (+0 goal differential)
1 Win, 1 Draw, 1 Loss
3rd place in group
Knockout Stage:
Lost 0-1 to Brazil in Round of 16
As discussed in the very first ranking, 1994 was one of the most, if not THE most, pivotal years in American soccer. The success of the 1994 World Cup-- attendance records and viewership records smashed, a tournament full of upset bids and generally high-quality play --was a symbolic victory, giving this country's neophyte soccer history legitimacy and justifying FIFA's decision to allow it to host. But it also was important that the host nation didn't make a fool out of themselves, which many expected would happen; as you might recall, the tournament prior had seen USA's first World Cup appearance in 40 years, and that didn't go particularly well for them. They also were drawn into what was arguably the Group of Death, with three opponents ranked in the Top 15. Instead, the hosts delighted their fans with an exciting draw against Switzerland in the opener, followed by a massive upset victory over Colombia in the Rose Bowl. Although they finished their group play with a close loss to Romania, they had performed well enough to progress as a highly-ranked 3rd-place team. Unfortunately, their reward would be a date with eventual champions Brazil in the Round of 16; unsurprisingly, talent won the day in Stanford Stadium, but true to form, the hosts went down swinging, holding a high-flying attack to just one goal.
4. South Africa 2010
Group Stage:
5 points (+1 goal differential)
1 Win, 2 Draws, 0 Losses
1st place in group
Knockout Stage:
Lost 1-2 (in extra time) to Ghana in Round of 16
Heading into the 90th minute in Pretoria on the last matchday of group play, it looked like the USA's 2010 tournament would end in yet another disappointment. Then one goal completely altered the trajectory of not only the American team, but arguably American soccer fandom. Despite receiving a seemingly favorable draw ("for once!", came the cries of Americans everywhere) and opening their World Cup account with a hard-fought draw with heavily favored England, an equally surprising draw with Slovenia in their 2nd match meant the U.S. was staring an early exit in the face as their match against Algeria remained goalless with time running out. Then, in the first minute of stoppage time, one of the greatest players to ever lace up for the USA famously slotted home a winner, touching off pandemonium across the country, and even more importantly, leaping his team from 3rd place in Group C all the way up to 1st, securing only their second-ever group win in history. As iconic a moment as it was, though, that would quickly give way to a feeling of missed opportunity; the USA's group win meant they were positioned nicely for their deepest run in World Cup history. But despite being the highest-ranked team left in their quadrant of the bracket, they would dip in the very next round, eliminated once more by a plucky, inspired Ghana side.
3. Brazil 2014
Group Stage:
4 points (+0 goal differential)
1 Win, 1 Draw, 1 Loss
2nd place in group
Knockout Stage:
Lost 1-2 (in extra time) to Belgium in Round of 16
The tenure of Jürgen Klinsmann, the first (and still only) 'rockstar manager' that the U.S. Men's team has had, was nothing if not a rollercoaster. But one thing that can't be debated is that the United States' sole World Cup with him at the helm was one of its finest in the modern era. Hopes were high for this squad after a 2013 that saw a Gold Cup title, topping the World Cup qualifying group, and the longest winning streak in USMNT history, but high hopes were somewhat mollified by-- stop me if you've heard this before --getting drawn into a ridiculously tough group. Yet, thanks to a thrilling opener which saw little-used defender John Brooks get his Landon Donovan moment, and an equally pulsating draw with Portugal in the next match, this squad was able to fight through to the Round of 16 despite a loss to Germany on the last matchday. Unfortunately, for the second straight tournament, their run would end there. Many American fans might disagree with ranking this team ahead of 2010's, and I get it; after all, their tournament performances almost mirror each other, except the 2010 team didn't lose a single match in regulation, and won their group! The reasons I have this team as slightly better are two-fold: for one, the level of competition. You ask me which is more impressive between "competitive loss against eventual world champions Germany, 2-2 draw with Portugal, thrilling 2-1 win over arch-nemeses Ghana, before a 2-1 overtime loss to Belgium," and "draw with a historically bad England side, 2-2 draw with Slovenia, thrilling late win over Algeria, before a 2-1 overtime loss to Ghana," I'm going to say the former every single time. But perhaps most importantly, the 2014 Cup featured some of the highest-quality play I've seen from a USMNT team in my lifetime. Where the 2010 run was generally built on the classic American style of being physical, tough in defense, and relying on the counterattack, the 2014 tournament featured passages of play (more specifically, the 1st half against Ghana, the 2nd half against Portugal, the 2nd half of extra time against Belgium) that were simply beautiful to watch.
2. Uruguay 1930
Group Stage:
4 points (+6 goal differential)
2 Wins, 0 Draws, 0 Losses
1st place in group
Knockout Stage:
Lost 1-6 to Argentina in Semifinals
(Awarded 3rd place retroactively)
Lest you think American soccer history essentially began in the 1990s, which I know I am guilty of at least hinting at in this piece, you should know that the very first World Cup actually featured what was easily the United States' best finish at the tournament. The 1930 team remains the only one in U.S. history to win more than one group stage match and one of two teams in history to win their group, and their 3rd place finish (retroactively awarded by FIFA) far surpasses the best finish from all USMNT World Cup teams since then. It also featured American Bert Patenaude recording the first-ever World Cup hat trick, etching America's place in the sport's history. That said... this was 1930. There was a smaller field of competitors, both literally and figuratively speaking. Only 12 teams qualified for that first tournament, and the legitimate contenders to win it all were isolated to the two that actually played in the Final, Uruguay and Argentina, the latter of which demolished the U.S. in the only knockout round between group play and the Final. For that reason, I hesitate to award the 1930 team with the undisputed #1 ranking, despite their myriad accomplishments.
1. Japan/Korea 2002
Group Stage:
4 points (-1 goal differential)
1 Win, 1 Draw, 1 Loss
2nd place in group
Knockout Stage:
Defeated Mexico 2-0 in Round of 16
Lost 0-1 to Germany in Quarterfinal
Had no American team in the modern era progressed past the purgatory of the Round of 16, I would have a hard time naming anyone other than the 1930 side as our all-time best. But one team did, and it was a delightfully unexpected success story. It's hard for Americans to see themselves as anything other than frontrunners in most facets of the World, but men's soccer is one area in which our nation lacks a history of global success, and we often find ourselves the underdog. Never have they more effectively harnessed that underdog energy than in the 2002 tournament, nestled between two of America's biggest World Cup disappointments in particular. Opening against a team ranked 4th in the World, nobody other than perhaps the team and manager themselves could have thought the U.S. would even draw Portugal, let alone beat them. Instead, the Americans blitzed out to a 3-0 lead within the first half hour, and held on for the last hour of the match to protect a priceless 3-2 win. They were underdogs once more in their next match against co-hosts South Korea, but pounced on an early lead and hung on for a vital point in Daegu. They did have a dangerously close brush with disaster: in their only matchup as a favorite, they got 'underdogged' themselves by an already-eliminated Poland side, whose 3-1 victory threatened to prevent the States from reaching the Round of 16. Fortunately, South Korea's win over Portugal in the other match helped the U.S. secure 2nd place, and they would meet their archrivals in the Round of 16. The U.S.-Mexico rivalry may not be as famous on the global stage, but it is as intense as just about any international rivalry, with historical, cultural, political divides that seem to play out on the pitch each time they go head-to-head. They had never met in the World Cup, and still haven't since 2002... meaning the U.S.'s stunning 2-0 win in Jeonju, which gave rise to their beloved "Dos A Cero" chant, remains to this day the ultimate rivalry trump card. The magic would finally run out for the Americans in the quarterfinals, as they fell 1-0 to Germany, but not before they gave the eventual runners-up an almighty battle, actually registering more shots on goal than their opponents, and forever having a legitimate protest as to why a penalty and red card were not given for Torsten Frings' handball.
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