The U.S. are no longer underdogs
The U.S. is coming off a successful 2002 World Cup campaign where they literally shocked the world. Only a highly disputed non-call on what appeared to be a handball infringement by German defender Torsten Frings, prevented the U.S. from beating Germany and reaching the semifinals.
Andy Mead/WireImage
Playmaker Landon Donovan is one of the keys for the U.S. team.
The appearance in Germany this summer will mark the eighth time that the U.S. has taken part in the World Cup finals. At the first finals in Uruguay in 1930 they reached the semifinals only to be eliminated by Argentina. In 1934 and 1950 they were eliminated at the preliminary group stages.
Historically, the U.S. has been considered an underdeveloped soccer nation. The nascent North American Soccer League (NASL) created in 1968 eventually failed in 1984 despite the presence of superstar players like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller. The awarding of the 1994 World Cup finals to the U.S. gave rise to hope for an upturn. FIFA made the award on the provision that a professional league be established in the U.S.
1989 also saw the "shot heard round the world." With Mexico banned from the 1990 World Cup for using overage players in a FIFA Tournament, the door for the US to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1950 was open. Needing a victory in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad to qualify for the World Cup, Paul Caliguiri delivered a 35-yard shot that sent the US to Italy with a 1-0 victory. 1990 saw the US team go to the World Cup with hardly any professional experience. The core of the team was in the early-to-mid twenties, just out of college, with hardly any professional experience, much like the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. Unlike the 1980 hockey team, the Americans did not pull any miracles in Italia '90. The U.S. was shocked in the opening match, 5-1 by Czechoslovakia, and despite improved performances against Italy and Austria, the Americans went home with three losses. In 1994 the U.S. coached by Bora Milutinovic reached the round of the last 16 before losing 1-0 to eventual World Cup winners Brazil. Although 1998 ultimately proved to be disappointing with the U.S. crashing out at the group stage with three losses -- the U.S. would redeem itself dramatically in 2002 by reaching the quarterfinals.
Qualification for the 2006 World Cup finals went smoothly. The U.S. won the CONCACAF region with seven wins out of ten games. Under head coach Bruce Arena, the team went undefeated in five home matches in the final round of qualifying and didn't surrender a single goal on home soil.
Coach - Bruce Arena
As the longest serving national team manager of any team in the World Cup -- U.S. manager Bruce Arena has presided over the greatest advancement of U.S. Soccer in the country's history. In 2006 he will lead the United States in his second-consecutive World Cup finals.
Already the winningest coach in U.S. history, Arena built upon his incredible achievements in 2005. In addition to coaching his 100th game for the United States, he collected a single-year record 13 victories and guided the team to its third CONCACAF Gold Cup championship title. More importantly, he led the U.S. to its fifth-consecutive berth in the World Cup finals.
Since taking over in October of 1998, Arena continues to utilize Major League Soccer players as well as overseas American professionals to build his squad. Ever in search of talent, he has given more than 65 players their first international appearance, and the 54-year-old Brooklyn native has shown an ability to maximize the abilities of his team.
Arena earned his stripes with a lengthy 21-year career in the highest levels of club soccer in the United States, with 18 seasons under his belt as the head soccer coach at the University of Virginia and three more in Major League Soccer with D.C. United.
He has amassed an impressive collection of trophies, including five NCAA Division titles, two MLS Cup championships and a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy amongst others.
He also guided the U.S. Under-23 National Team for 44 games through the 1996 Summer Olympiad in Atlanta. With the Olympic team, Arena was widely credited with accelerating the development of a number of future U.S. national team players, including midfielder Claudio Reyna and defender Eddie Pope.
Until he relinquished his duties in 1985 to focus entirely on soccer, Arena was also an assistant men's lacrosse coach at UVa. Arena was an All-American in lacrosse at Cornell University, where he graduated in 1973. He earned All-American honors in both soccer and lacrosse while attending Nassau Community College from 1969 to 1971. His experience also extends to the playing field, where he competed professionally in lacrosse with the Montreal Quebecois in 1975.
Player to Watch - Landon Donovan
One of the brightest young stars for the United States and arguably the key player for the national team, Landon Donovan is lightning quick on the ball and possesses a lethal touch in front of goal. His vision and skill make him one of the most highly touted players ever to come out of the U.S. youth programs.
Donovan first signed a professional contract with Bayer Leverkusen of the German Bundesliga in February at the age of 17, shortly before playing in the U-17 World Championship where he won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. However after being unable to break into the first team with Leverkusen and unhappy with his situation in Germany, Donovan was loaned back to MLS and the San Jose Earthquakes for the beginning of the 2001 season.
In MLS, Donovan had immediate success, leading the Earthquakes to MLS Championships in 2001 and 2003 and becoming one of the most recognizable faces of soccer in America. In four years in the league, he scored 32 goals and 29 assists in league play, and ten goals and six assists in the playoffs. Donovan was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2003.
In 2004, Bayer Leverkusen announced that Donovan would return to the club in 2005. In early 2005, after receiving only limited chances with Bayer, Donovan stated his intentions to come back to MLS.
His wish was quickly granted, but Los Angeles traded leading scorer Carlos Ruiz to F.C. Dallas to get on top of the allocation pecking order and signed Donovan on March 31, 2005. In his first season with the Galaxy, Donovan scored 12 league goals and 10 assists and added four goals and an assist in the playoffs as the Galaxy won the MLS Cup (his third MLS championship to date), making him MLS' all-time leading scorer in the playoffs with 14. He was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI after the season.
Donovan has also been successful on the international stage. After starring in the 2000 Summer Olympics, he earned his first cap for the U.S. national team on Oct. 25, 2000 against Mexico. He was integral to the United States' run to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup in scoring goals against Poland and Mexico. As of end of 2005, he has amassed 73 caps for the US, scoring 25 goals, including a rare four-goal game against Cuba in 2003. On April 11, 2006, Donovan became the United States' all-time assist leader with 23, passing Cobi Jones.
