On This Day in 2006, Twellman's World Cup Campaign Continues Against Japan
The question facing Taylor Twellman after his hat-trick heroics against Norway was simple: could he sustain it?
One spectacular performance might be dismissed as an anomaly, a perfect alignment of circumstance and opportunity. But Bruce Arena's World Cup roster decisions wouldn't be made on a single night's work, no matter how dazzling. With European-based stars still occupied with their clubs, Twellman had a narrow window to prove his January explosion wasn't a fluke.
Japan arrived in San Francisco on February 10, representing exactly the test the U.S. needed. Like the Americans, Zico's squad was deep in World Cup preparation, and the legendary Brazilian coach had assembled a hungry group of J-League players fighting for their own spots on the plane to Germany. This wouldn't be another 5-0 romp. Yet before 37,952 fans at SBC Park, Twellman delivered again.
The New England Revolution forward didn't just score—he orchestrated. In the 24th minute, Todd Dunivant launched a long ball from midfield that Twellman nodded down inside the penalty area, and it fell perfectly for Eddie Pope, who finished past goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi. 15 minutes later, Twellman was at it again, receiving Josh Wolff's pass at the top of the box and immediately redirecting it to Clint Dempsey, who buried his shot into the right corner.
When Landon Donovan whipped in a corner kick in the 50th minute, Twellman attacked it with a diving header that bulged the net for a 3-0 lead. The assist gave Donovan 22 for his international career, tying Cobi Jones's U.S. record.
After going scoreless in his first 12 caps, Twellman now had five goals in four games. More importantly, he had demonstrated versatility—not just a finisher, but a creator, a target forward who could bring others into play while still finding the net himself.
"He's had two very good games," Arena acknowledged afterward, though he remained cautiously noncommittal. "He's certainly putting himself in a good position. It's going to be competitive right down the stretch for everybody. But Taylor certainly hasn't hurt his cause." Donovan was less restrained. "He should go to Vegas, he's been unbelievable," he said. "He's working hard, doing the right things and getting better every game."
The Americans dominated possession and carved apart Japan's experimental six-man midfield throughout the first half. But Zico's halftime adjustments shifted momentum. Japan pulled one back through substitute Seiichiro Maki in the 60th minute, then added a second deep into stoppage time via Yuji Nakazawa, making the final minutes uncomfortable before the U.S. held on for a 3-2 victory.
Arena noted how the substitutions—both teams rotated heavily—affected the flow. "Their substitutions impacted the game," he said. "They threw us off our game a bit."
Still, the result mattered less than the statement. Twellman had answered the follow-up question emphatically. In back-to-back games against World Cup-bound opponents, he had produced four goals and two assists, transforming himself from a talented but unproven international into someone Arena had to seriously consider.
"I just want to be a good target forward and help my teammates out on defense and get in front of the goal," Twellman said, remaining focused on the work ahead.
The team's schedule would only intensify from here. Guatemala awaited on February 19 in Frisco, Texas, followed by two March friendlies in Germany itself—Poland in Kaiserslautern on March 1, then the host nation in Dortmund on March 22, when the European-based players would finally join the squad. Those matches would provide the ultimate measuring stick, the final opportunities for bubble players to separate themselves before Arena's May roster announcement.
For now, though, Twellman had seized his moment. Whether it would be enough remained uncertain, but he had given Arena exactly what any player could: two weeks of undeniable form at precisely the right time.
