Gansler Resigns

On This Day in 1991, World Cup Manager was Removed from Post, Takes on New Role

Bob Gansler, the man who led the United States to its first World Cup appearance in 40 years, resigned as head coach of the U.S. National Team on February 23, following a disappointing 1-0 loss to Bermuda. The defeat, which marked the team's sixth consecutive game without scoring, was the final chapter in a tenure marked by historic achievement but persistent criticism.

Gansler's two-year reign as head coach produced a record of 14 wins, 17 losses and 5 draws. Still, it will forever be remembered for the dramatic victory in Trinidad and Tobago on November 19, 1989, that secured the United States' first World Cup qualification since 1950. However, the team's subsequent performance in Italy '90, where they lost all three group stage matches, combined with growing criticism of Gansler's conservative tactical approach, created mounting pressure on his position.

The change in U.S. Soccer Federation leadership from Werner Fricker to Alan Rothenberg had further complicated Gansler's situation. Rothenberg had openly criticized Gansler's methods and had made it clear the federation was seeking a replacement with more international experience. Rather than await dismissal, Gansler chose to step down.

"I've enjoyed my experience as coach of the national team," Gansler said after informing his players following the Bermuda match. "But I felt it was time to move on and give the players a little more certainty. The team we need to showcase was suffering, because neither the players nor I could perform at maximum potential under these circumstances. I guess lame ducks just don't fly that well." 

The USSF appointed John Kowalski, coach of Robert Morris College and the U.S. indoor team, as interim manager while searching for a permanent replacement. Gansler would transition to a new role as the federation's national director of coaching and player development, focusing on identifying top talent and upgrading coaching education programs.

Just one month after Gansler's departure, the USSF found its man in Bora Milutinovic, the Yugoslav coach who had led Mexico and Costa Rica to World Cup success. Fresh from guiding Costa Rica to the second round of the 1990 World Cup, Milutinovic signed a contract to lead the U.S. team through the 1994 World Cup on home soil. The experienced tactician expressed confidence in American soccer's potential, boldly declaring his mission was "to show everybody that even Americans know how to play soccer" and predicting the team could reach the second round of the '94 tournament.

Despite the disappointing end to his national team tenure, Gansler would find considerable success in professional soccer, leading the Kansas City Wizards to an MLS championship in 2000 and earning MLS Coach of the Year honors in the same season. While complex, his legacy with the national team includes the distinction of being the coach who ended America's four-decade World Cup drought.