Balboa's Last International Goal

On This Day in 1998, the Former All-Time US Cap Leader Scored His Final Goal in a Friendly Tune-up

With the World Cup just three months away, the U.S. men's national team searched for answers. A three-game scoring drought had raised serious concerns about the Americans' offensive capabilities as they prepared for their opening match against Germany in Paris. The team hadn't found the net since Preki's stunning winner against Brazil in the Gold Cup on February 10th, and coach Steve Sampson was openly questioning his attacking options. But on a March afternoon in San Diego, it would be a defender who provided the spark – and added another memorable moment to his legendary career.

Marcelo Balboa, the iron man of American soccer who had anchored the national team's defense for a decade, was already making history that day at Qualcomm Stadium. His 126th international appearance moved him past England's Peter Shilton into third place on the all-time international caps list, trailing only Saudi Arabia's Majed Abdullah (147) and Sweden's Thomas Ravelli (143). It was a homecoming for the former San Diego State star that would prove unforgettable.

The March 14 match started ominously for the Americans when Denis Caniza put Paraguay ahead in the 15th minute, taking advantage of some hesitant defending. But the U.S. showed resilience, and Chad Deering – who had defied his German club Wolfsburg's wishes to join the national team – equalized six minutes later with a powerful header from Eric Wynalda's corner kick.

But Balboa's diving header in the 50th minute would steal the headlines in the Americans' 2-2 draw with Paraguay. After fellow defender Alexi Lalas looped a cross from the left flank, Balboa – who had pushed forward into the attack – threw himself horizontally at the ball, making contact just inches above the grass. His improbable effort sailed into the upper corner, stunning Paraguayan goalkeeper Ruben Ruiz Diaz and giving the U.S. a 2-1 lead.

"It was just one of those things," Balboa said afterward. "I think I overran the ball, Alexi kind of played it behind me, and I didn't think I could plant my feet and hit the volley left-footed. So, with the momentum, I just kept on going and dived to see if I could put it on target somewhere. I never thought I'd put it up there, though."

The lead wouldn't hold, as Francisco Arce converted a controversial 75th-minute penalty after a disputed foul by goalkeeper Juergen Sommer. Still, the performance offered hope for a U.S. team preparing for a challenging World Cup group that included Germany, Iran, and Yugoslavia.

However, the draw proved to be one of the final bright spots for Balboa and the U.S. in 1998. With new players added to the fold and a switch to the 3-6-1, the older and "slower" center-back just made the roster. At the World Cup in France, internal discord and tactical changes by coach Steve Sampson led to three straight losses and a quick exit. Balboa, who had been a mainstay of the team through the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups and had earned U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year honors in both 1992 and 1994, saw only eight minutes of action in the team's final match against Yugoslavia.

The San Diego goal would be Balboa's 13th and final strike for the national team, a fitting spectacular finish for a player who had previously scored on a bicycle kick against Trinidad and Tobago in 1991 and had nearly repeated the feat on the world's biggest stage against Colombia in the 1994 World Cup. He would make his final appearance for the U.S. in a friendly against Iran in January 2000, ending his international career with 128 caps – a then-record for American outfield players. Balboa would retire from professional soccer in 2003.