The USMNT's Top 5 World Cup Matches

There is a lot of hype surrounding the importance of the US's first match of the 2010 World Cup against the Three Lions of England (2:30pm EDT, ABC). Many are saying that it is the biggest World Cup game the Yanks have ever played. But no matter the outcome, there are at least 5 other games who can give tomorrow's match a run for their money:

5. US v. Paraguay (Uruguay 1930)


So yes, the first World Cup consisted of only 13 teams. But the U.S. made a strong first impression on first asking. Plowing their way to the semi-finals with a dominating 3-0 win over Paraguay. In 2006, FIFA recognized that Bert Patenaude scored all three goals in this match, thus becoming the first person to score a hat trick in a World Cup.

4. US v. Portugal (Japan / South Korea 2002)


Really, you can make every match of the 2002 World Cup number one on this list (except the match against Poland). However, that's not fun. In lieu of this cop out, the second group match of the 2002 makes the list at number 4. This match ended in an electric 3-2 scoreline in favor of the yanks and catapulted them into the second round with room for a reality check by the Poles along the way that may just have served to ground the team going into the knock out rounds.

3. US v. Colombia (USA 1994)


The United States entered the 1994 World Cup with the disdain of the World on its shoulders. It had received the right to host the tournament despite of its poor world ranking and lack of a top tier professional outdoor league. However, after a 1-1 draw against Scotland, the global community cocked an eyebrow. So when the US met and beat then fourth ranked Colombia 2-1 on home soil in Detroit, soccer fever hit the nation and has never really let go ... sorta.

2. US v. Germany (Japan / South Korea 2002)


Only one word describes this quarterfinal match up from the USMNT's epic run in 2002: Bittersweet. The Yanks not only stayed with the Germans, but they out played the European powerhouse. So after a heartbreaking goal by Michael Ballack, a masterclass performance by German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and a handball save on the German goal line, the Yanks were left on the wrong side of a 1-0 scoreline. The consolation? Even the German players admitted the US outplayed them.

1. US v. England (Brazil 1950)


While the US v Germany game of the World Cup beats the US upset of England of 1950 in prominence and impact, the Miracle on Grass in nothing short of soccer legend. Appearing in just its second world cup in 20 years, nothing was expected of the fledgling American team when it came up against the inventors and popular legends of the game, England. So when the Yanks beat the English 1-0, it was a soccer shot heard round the world.


But what if the US repeats its upset? What if it propels the team into another legendary run deep into the tournament. What if that run sparks a widespread soccer fever that makes 1994 look pale in comparison? Will the US v. England match of 2010 rocket to the top of this list? More than likely. But it will have to be an epic win if it is to go down as a great match when we look back at it 20 years from now?

What do you think? What will the impact of tomorrow's match be on soccer 20 years from now?

World Cup US TV Schedule: June 11

FRIDAY, JUNE 11:

South Africa vs. Mexico
10 a.m. EDT, ESPN

Uruguay vs. France
2:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN

Soccer 101: What is the World Cup and Why Should I Care?

We are so tantalizingly close to the World Cup, the excitement is palpable. Tonight, millions of soccer fans will go to bed and slip into fantastic dreams about their country's team making a heroic run in the cup. Tomorrow, the wait will be over as the first ball is kicked and the first matches played for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. But how did the World Cup become such a huge deal?

THE FIFA WORLD CUP

The World Cup as Americans know it is actually the final stage of a two and a half year long competition involving 205 countries and more than 900 matches. The World Cup Final is contested by the remaining 32 teams who have qualified to compete for the trophy every four years.

Brief History
The brainchild of then FIFA president Jules Rimet, the first World Cup Final was held in 1930 with Uruguay as the host. While all FIFA member countries were invited to take part in the tournament, due to the travel expenses, very few teams outside the Americas made the trip. Uruguay went on to win the tournament in front of a crowd of 93,000 people. An international phenomenon was born.

The World Cup has been contested in some form every four years for the past eight decades (with the exception of 1942 and 1946, due to a tiny global snafu known as World War II). Only seven countries have won the tournament, and only five of those countries have done it more than once. For the record: Brazil has won the World Cup 5 times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002), Italy 4 times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), Germany 3 times (1954, 1974, 1990), Argentina and Uruguay have both won 2 times (1978, 1986 and 1930, 1950, respectively), and both France and England have won the tournament 1 time (1998 and 1966, respectively, and both while hosting).

While the exact details of qualification change every four years, the current system of all eligible teams competing for 32 spots in a group round robin followed by a single elimination tournament was only introduced in 1998.

Qualification
The international soccer community is divided into six geographic confederations, each of which is giving a certain number of slots at the finals:

• Africa (6 places, including 2010 host)
  
• Asia (4 or 5 places)*
  
• Europe (13 places)
  
• North America, Central America and the Caribbean (3 or 4 places)*
  
• Oceania (0 or 1 places)*
  
• South America (4 or 5 places)*
  

The teams in each region compete in a multi-round, seeded round-robin competition for spots at the World Cup finals. Each region is designated a certain number of spots in the world cup according to the strength of its countries.

* For many of the regions, the total number of spots allotted depends on inter-continental playoffs between countries in the final rounds of qualification, hence why the weaker countries of the Oceania confederation - teams such as Fiji, the Solomon Island and New Zealand - are not guaranteed a spot in the finals. To qualify for the 2010 tournament, New Zealand (the winner of Oceania qualification) had to defeat the fifth place team from Asia's qualification. Likewise, as the fifth place finisher in South America, Uruguay had to beat North America's fourth place finisher for a spot in the finals. For complete details on the qualification process, see here.

The first rounds of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final in South Africa began in the October 2007 and finished two years later in November 2009.

The Finals
Once the final 32 teams have qualified, they are divided into 8 groups of 4 teams each. In the opening stages of the tournament (known as the group stage), the teams play three matches, one against each of the other teams in the group. The teams receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss. The two teams with the most points advance to the knock out rounds of the tournament.

The final four stages of the tournament are single elimination knock-out until a champion is crowned. A game to determine third and fourth place is also played. The entire tournament takes a month.

Why should I care?
Quite simply because there is nothing like the World Cup. Nothing. And in 90 minutes, anything can happen. Anything. There are the favorites to win, to be sure, but every four years a few teams of which nothing is expected shock the world and strike down the great powers on their way to unthinkable glory (think the USA and South Korea in 2002). It's as compelling as sports gets and it's the most universal sport humanity has. There. Is. Nothing. Like. It.

Tomorrow on Soccer 101: The freaking World Cup. Go watch it already! ... But if you want to swing by here, we'll have Saturday's TV listings (tomorrow's World Cup TV listings will be posted later today).

Soccer 101: The Rabid Fans

So we've dealt with the rules (even that really confusing offside one). We've dealt with the faking. We've dealt with the player's positions and team formations. We've even dealt with the referees and their roles in a game. There's only one large enigma left to explain to the soccer newcomer: The millions of people around the world who actually enjoy watching, following, living and breathing this game.

SOCCER FANS

Ok, you may think you've met something like a soccer fan. But you haven't. You've seen teamsters strip down to their underwear for Green Bay football. You've seen half naked white trash follow their favorite NASCAR drivers around the country in a trailer. You've seen a guy drop his toddler to catch a fly ball. But you still haven't seen anything like a soccer fan.

Soccer is not just a passion for these people. It's not even an obsession. It's a way of life. Period.

Not only have some soccer clubs been around for 150 years, they are often supported by generations of the same family, from the same neighborhood.

Consider this: America supports three major professional sports with about 30 teams each. In England alone, the entire soccer pyramid contains 7,000 teams, every one of which could theoretically rise and fall to either the very top or the very bottom of the league system. And each year over 700 professional, semi-professional and amateur teams compete each year for a single trophy, the F.A. Cup.

Soccer fans love their teams so much, they sing about it and the songs aren't even 25% vulgar ... most of the time. Although, it can be kind of disturbing watching thousands of German fans chant anything in unison.

So when the World Cup comes around every four years, the fans in these countries skip work en masse. Many countries (including Germany during 2006 and South Africa in 2010) grant official public holidays during the tournament. All activity in countries such as Brazil, for example, completely stops while their national team is playing.

American's love their sports, there's no doubt about it. But when it comes to soccer - a sport played by nearly everyone else everywhere else in the world - we're talking about the closest thing to a universal language humanity has ever known. That is a passion on a scale even Yankees fans, Dallas Cowboy fans, Los Angeles Lakers fans cannot match.

It's a beautiful game to play. It's a beautiful game to watch. And it's a damned beautiful game to be a part of.

Tomorrow on Soccer 101: What is the World Cup and Why Should I Care?

Soccer 101: Why is that Guy Rolling on the Ground?

Without out a doubt, the most common criticism Jim Bobs everywhere have of soccer is the players just seem so wimpy. To the novice, soccer appears to have a slow speed and little physical contact. So when a player hits the deck, writhing in agony as if he'll need his leg amputated from a seemingly innocuous challenge, people used to watching men the size of household appliances crashing into each other in full body armor are less than impressed. Add to this the fact that many of these displays are in fact fake and the people in question are left with a less than endearing impression.

SOCCER'S (BAD) ACTING

The situation: A fast paced player (perhaps a winger?) is weaving in and out of defenders down the field. His feet are like lightening and his vision seems ingenious. Then, just as he's reaching the top of the penalty box, the ball gets away from him and he crumples against a solid challenge from a defender. After three flamboyant rolls, he is left clutching his knee or his ankle or his back or his face, wincing in agony as if he is about to pass a paperweight-sized kidney stone. Is he bleeding? Does he need medical attention? Is he going to die?! Clearly, a foul has been committed.

But the referee is unimpressed and dismisses the situation with a frown and a wave or even a wry smile and a wagging finger. The player may stay crumpled on the ground for a bit, but eventually he gets up and continues playing, back to fine health. And no one says another word about it.

So why did he go out of his way to fake an injury? The answer is simple, but the reasoning is a little harder to understand. The player is trying to draw a foul and give his team some sort of advantage.

Players draw fouls because they want to influence the referee's decisions and they know they can get away with it. Soccer can be an incredibly dangerous game with players experiencing compound fractures and concussions. On top of this, the real-time, fast-paced nature of soccer means that referees are often yards behind players (who can be as much as half their age) when calls need to be made. So when a player is fouled (or not), the referee may not always be in the best position to make the correct call, so he must make an educated guess.

The catch? Intentionally faking a foul (or simulating) is against the rules and punishable by a yellow card. But in a game where infractions can take place in the blink of the eye and yards away from any official, how are the referees to know which are real and which are faked? As a result, players are only called for simulation when it is particularly obvious, often in the box. However, more often than not, players get away with it. A problem? Yes. But the best referees can minimize its impact.

Tomorrow on Soccer 101: The Fans

US Soccer on Sports Illustrated Cover: Progress or Status Quo?

One of America's oldest sports journalism institutions is Sports Illustrated. Its covers have chronicled the interests of the American public and have made household names of sports stars of no less renowned than Michael Jordan, Nolan Ryan and Tiger Woods.

So when today's copy of Sport's Illustrated hits newstands featuring US Men's National Team members Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard on the cover, one may be tempted to announce that soccer has finally arrived in the US. But the truth is, SI has a respectable history over the past three World Cups of highlighting the USMNT's efforst in the tournament.

2010


Today's cover comes on the heels of two other soccer covers (the most for any year since the magazine was first printed in 1950): a preview of the World Cup on May 29 and an overview of "The Beautiful Game" on May 24.

2006


The USMNT's success in Japan and Korea in 2002, left the American sports scene at attention and wondering if the US had actually arrived on the international sports scene. Were we actually good at this sport the rest of the world seemed inexplicably obsessed with? Unfortunately for US soccer fans and the popularity of the sport, the US hadn't quite arrived and bounced out of the tournament's Group of Death.

2002

If 2010 is the year of US soccer's maturation, then 2002 was its coming of age. Going into the tournament less than favorites and in the same group as European stalwarts Portugal and Poland and with the energetic hosts, South Korea. Yet after a dynamic win against Portugal and a well fought draw against Korea, the Yanks were into the knock-out rounds.


And so the US Men's National Team grabbed the attention of the American public by the hair and propelled themselves into the knock-out round. After an emphatic victory against their CONCACAF rivals, Mexico, and a heart-breaking loss to Germany in which even the Germans admitted the US had been the better team, the US exited the tournament in their best finish since the start of the tournament in 1930.

1994

The 1998 World Cup was a disaster for both the US team and its media exposure. Chalk it up to an uninspired team unable to score more than one goal or to the fact that the tournament was hosted in France, it just never made the media's radar in the States. The 1994 World Cup, however, was hosted in the USA and is generally accepted as the spark for the modern revival of soccer in the United States. The fact that the US was hosting the tournament meant that Sports Illustrated featured the US team on its cover for the first time.

The bottom line? If Sports Illustrated covers are any indication of a sport's popularity, then soccer is certainly making strides into the American sports consciousness. On the other hand, the number of articles on soccer written for Sport Illustrated has grown exponentially over the past 40 years. It is growth, but it's the kind of generational growth that only happens through excruciatingly small intervals.

All covers (c) Sports Illustrated.

Soccer 101: That Damned Offside Rule

Bum, dum, DDDUUUUMMMMMMM! The offside rule in soccer is - after Cristiano Ronaldo - the hardest thing to explain to new fans. It involves what every novice enjoys: A long, fumbly explanation with a lot of qualifiers. Just when a new soccer player thinks they understand it, the person explaining it adds "But only if ..." and inevitably has to resort to visual aids. But have no fear, I shall be clear and concise with my explanation.

THE OFFSIDE RULE

Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney
attacking while defenders protest for offside

In its simplest form, the offside rule exists to stop an attacking team from gaining an unfair advantage. With only 22 players on such a large field, it would make for an uninteresting game if a team could just plant one player without the ball two yards from the goal and play long balls up the field to him. In other words, the offside rule attempts to ensure the attacking team cannot have players without the ball closer to the goal than the opposing team's defenders.

Play will be stopped for offside if the situation meets two criteria:

1. A player without the ball is in an offside position when the ball is intentionally touched or played by another member on his team
2. The player is deemed to be "active" by the referee (often on the advice of his assistant)

Note that it is not strictly illegal for a player to be in an offside position, only if he is both in an offside position and active in the run of play (often determined by touching the ball).

Offside position
A player is in an offside position, if he is closer to his opponent's goal than BOTH the ball and the second to last defender (the often goalkeeper being the final defender).

A player is NOT in an offside position if:

• He is in his own half of the field of play, or
• He is level with the second to last defenders, or
• He is level with the last two defenders
  

Being "active"
A player may be considered "active" by the referees if he is:

• Interfering with play, or
• Interfering with an opponent, or
• Gaining an advantage by being in that position

Please note that a player may be level with the second to last defender when the ball is played by a teammate and then receive the ball in an offside position, but will still have not broken the offside rule.

Exceptions
To complicate matters further, a player cannot be offside if he receives a ball directly from a goal kick, throw in, or corner kick.

How it normally looks during the game
Many teams operate an offside trap at least once during a match. When operating the trap, the back four defenders keep a straight line across the field and step up right before the attacking team attempts to play a ball into space behind. This action often renders the recipients of the through ball in an offside position, and if the timing is correct, play will be stopped and the attack quelled. On the other hand, attacking players work hard to time their runs off the ball in order to receive a ball behind the defense without committing an offense. Far too often, it is a matter of inches, and the officials have only seconds to decide whether or not a player has violated the offside rule.

Got all that?

No?

Well, crap. That wasn't as concise as I would have liked it to be. Oh well. If you're still confused, watch this video. It has fun music, pretty pictures, and a Scottish narrator.

Tomorrow on Soccer 101: Why is that Guy Rolling on the Ground?