When the USMNT World Cup team returned home from Japan/Korea 2002 they were national heroes. A country that, after the attacks on September 11th, desperately needed something to cheer about as a unified nation, found it in soccer of all places. A team of talented but untested players took the national team program further than it had ever gone, or has gone, in the modern era.
What did it all mean? In the short term, soccer got its biggest exposure since the 1994 World Cup, in the long term, it meant survival as Major League Soccer was hanging on, barely. MLS and soccer in the United States was still five years away from the David Beckham signing, but it gave the league and sport a huge lifeline.
On the field, Bruce Arena revitalized the program with key players like Claudio Reyna, Eddie Pope, Brian McBride, Brad Friedel, and the young talents of Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, and the talented John O'Brien. Here is a look back at the remarkable run of the USMNT in the 2002 World Cup.
Where soccer was at in the United States pre-2002
You can’t look at the USMNT without looking at MLS, after the devastating 1998 World Cup, MLS continued to try and break through the American sporting landscape. Unfortunately, the league hit a wall. After an initial and promising 1996 season, 1997 - 2001 saw MLS stuck on poor attendance, league average was in the 14,000s and DOA television numbers. MLS, perceived by soccer purists as a graveyard for aging stars, had an average level of play at best.
Still, for Bruce Arena, MLS was where the core of his players plied their trade and taking the league seriously in that regard was needed to rebuild a program that hit rock bottom after France 98.
Arena was called in to take over the USMNT, by the time the Brooklyn native got the job he had done very well at the college level but had also hit MLS with the ground running. Arena’s DC United team by far had the best overall team in the league from 1996-1998. Along the way Arena won the first two MLS Cups, one US Open Cup, but what put Arena over was his international accomplishments. DC United had won the Concacaf Champions Cup in 1998, defeating Leon and Toluca along the way and his final title was the Interamerican Cup defeating Copa Libertadores champion Vasco Da Gama.
Arena’s DC United backbone would serve as his spine as the USMNT began its road back from the dead. Eddie Pope, Tony Sanneh, Jeff Agoos, Carlos Llamosa, and John Harkes were all early and long-term solutions.
Still under all that work, Arena had the shadow that MLS was losing money fast and by 2002 the league had contracted with the folding of the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny. There was serious debate if the league would fold by 2002.
Arena begins his work
The first true test for the USMNT under Arena was the 1999 Confederations Cup, the USMNT came in as the Concacaf representative since Mexico, the current Gold Cup champions were also the host nation. Little hope was placed on the US team that was drawn into a group with Germany, Brazil, and New Zealand.
Arena’s men did the business and gave themselves hope with a 2-1 win over New Zealand in the opening match. An admirable defeat to Brazil 1-0 left many observers noticing a completely different and inspired US team than the one in France 1998. Then Arena and the program got a huge shot in the arm. On July 30th, 1999, the USMNT defeated a stunned Germany 2-0 behind goals from DC United’s Ben Olsen and Everton striker Joe-Max Moore.
In one of the best matches of the tournament, Mexico and the USMNT did battle for over 90 minutes, dead locked at 0-0, Mexico got the golden goal in minute 97 as Cuauhtémoc Blanco scored to take El Tri to the finals, and the USMNT placed third as they defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 behind goals from Brian McBride and Paul Bravo.
Arena’s tenure started much like Steve Sampson’s with a respectable showing in an international tournament. Frankie Hejduk, Eddie Lewis, Cobi Jones, and Brian McBride were all players Arena could use as his starting point, he also brought back John Harkes into the fold, as a sort of redemption, Harkes had a very good tournament.
Respecting the veterans but paving the way for young stars
Arena had a place for all the players that gave the USMNT something in the past, Harkes, Wynalda, Balboa, and Ramos all returned at some point from 1999- 2001. Still Arena’s plan was to build his team around Claudio Reyna, Brian McBride, Eddie Pope, and Kasey Keller or Brad Friedel in goal. Wild card Clint Mathis was a talented but undisciplined player who could be a huge spark for the team. Mathis was a very skillful finisher but favored a New York City nightlife, BBQ and a beer over healthy eating and proper sleep.
The arrivals of young talents like John O’Brian, who played at Ajax, Steve Cherundolo, Landon Donovan, and DaMarcus Beasley gave Arena a group to build off of in the future.
World Cup qualifying
Arena’s 2002 qualification campaign started in 2000, before that the team had gotten promising victories over Chile, Peru, Mexico, and made it to the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup losing to Colombia on penalty kicks.
Things did not start off well for Arena and the USMNT, drawing their first game against Guatemala 1-1 and suffering a defeat in Costa Rica 2-1. After that the results turned, wins over Barbados, Guatemala, and a draw against Costa Rica put the team in the Hexagonal, a friendly victory over Mexico 2-0 in a friendly was a sign of things to come.
While the USMNT struggled, Arena was able to pull the group together and find their footing. In the Hexagonal it was a rollercoaster ride, a big 2-0 opening round win against Mexico in the cold of Columbus began the legendary Dos a Cero tradition. A win on the road against Honduras put the USMNT in a safe position quickly in qualifying. Wins over Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago had the USMNT in first and feeling qualification was in the bag.
Then Arena and the program had to do a lot of adjusting, a 1-0 defeat to Mexico in Azteca was seen as a blimp, Mexico had been struggling and their win over the US gave them a huge lifeline. The US went on to lose two more against Honduras and Costa Rica. The program, fearful that the team would miss out on the World Cup altogether contemplated a change but stuck to their guns and faith in Arena.
Then September 11th happened, and the US took the field again in October in an emotional match which saw the US earn their place at the World Cup with a 2-1 win over Jamaica. Eventually the USMNT finished third tied on points with Mexico, with more relief than promise.
Building towards 2002
The USMNT would learn their fate for Japan/Korea 2002, placed in Group D, the team had to contend with one of the host nations South Korea, heavily favorite Portugal, and difficult European opponent Poland. A difficult group by the US standards who struggled near the end of qualifying.
Still the start of 2002 gave the USMNT a boost, Arena would cement his place as a winner by lifting the 2002 Concacaf Gold Cup. The USMNT defeated Costa Rica in the final 2-0 after wins over South Korea, Cuba, El Salvador, and Canada. It was the USMNT first major trophy since the 1991 Gold Cup.
On the road towards the World Cup a promising defeat to Italy 1-0 was met with wins over Ecuador, Mexico, and Uruguay. The stage was then set for the USMNT to travel to South Korea and show face after a dismal 1998 tournament.
Shocking the world
On June 5th, 2002, the USMNT played, maybe, their greatest 30 minutes of soccer ever. John O'Brien put the US up early off of a corner kick over Portugal who fielded Vítor Baía, Luis Figo, Rui Costa, and Pauleta. An own goal off of a Landon Donovan cross gave the US a 2-0 lead before a Brian McBride missile header gave the US a 3-0 pounding of Portugal in 36 minutes. The US had chances to increase their lead, but nerves took over and despite giving up two goals the US got a massive three points against a world class opponent that were shell shocked.
Five days later the US had to face host South Korea and once again played very well with Clint Mathis inserted in the starting lineup, the MetroStars striker would give the US the lead and it looked like the US would hold on until an Ahn Jung-hwan set piece goal sealed the 1-1 draw.
With four points, only needing a draw the USMNT faced Poland to close out their group, it was a game the program would like to forget. With nothing to lose and eliminated Poland ran through the Americans, scoring two goals in five minutes, by the 77th minute the USMNT was 3-0 down and a late Landon Donovan goal only added insult to injury as the US looked to be out of their group despite having two very promising group games. South Korea would defeat Portugal 1-0 and thus the USMNT qualified second to the round of 16, relieved the US could look to their next opponent Mexico.
Dos a Cero World Cup edition
Mexico, who placed first in their group over Italy, Ecuador and Croatia liked their chances against the US at the world stage. Arrogant and self-imposing the Mexican team forgot one key issue in their assessment of the US… the teams in their World Cup group may have studied them, but the USMNT KNEW THEM.
Arena fielded a team that was designed to absorb but also attack Mexico, two counter attacking goals would be the difference as Brian McBride would score in the 8th minute after a quick passing play led by Claudio Reyna, who had played at a world class level during the tournament. Shocked, Mexico tried to press forward but when Landon Donovan scored the USMNT second, Mexico fell apart.
Showing a complete lack of maturity Mexico used up the remaining 20 minutes of their World Cup to kick, punch, and push the Americans into a fight. Showing all the maturity in the world the USMNT saw Rafael Márquez get red carded for a brutal challenge on Cobi Jones and saw Cuauhtémoc Blanco instigating fighting against any American player over creating anything on the field. By the time the match ended the USMNT was off to the quarterfinals and an embarrassed Mexican side ran into the tunnel, defeated yet again by the United States in a major tournament.
An emotional ride ends
The USMNT would face Germany in the quarterfinals in a match that showcased the best of the USMNT. Full of pride and rising to the occasion the Germans were on their heels as Oliver Kahn came up huge against Landon Donovan, Claudio Reyna, and Eddie Lewis.
Despite giving a massive effort in the first 30 minutes the Germans took their chance and scored off a set piece in the 38th minute. 1-0 down the US threw everything they could at Germany, who contained the United States, while also getting a lucky break when referee Hugh Dallas inexplicably called a foul in favor of Germany after a US attack resulted in a hand ball by Torsten Frings on the goal line clearing a US header.
The match would end 1-0 but the USMNT showed the world that the US was back and had a promising future in the sport. Bruce Arena, who was tasked with getting the program back on track, continued to add to his value as the best American coach at the time.
Back home the USMNT antics was morning news and Sports Center material, overnight once again Cobi Jones was back on national television, Landon Donovan became a poster boy for the sport and Clint Mathis rode his 15 minutes of fame.
In the long term, the USMNT dramatic and inspiring World Cup run pushed Philip Anschutz, Robert Kraft, and Lamar Hunt to keep MLS alive and give the sport one more go.
The legacy of 2002
The legacy of the 2002 team is what could happen in the country if the USA makes a deep run in the tournament. Since then, the USMNT have reached the round of 16 twice (2010 and 2014), disappointed in 2006 in a first-round exit and missed the World Cup in 2018.
Now looking ahead in 2022, it’s up to Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, and Weston McKennie to uphold or better the heights reached by Claudio Reyna, Brian McBride, and Landon Donovan.
