On This Day in 1985, The US Took Critical Steps Toward the World Cup with Consecutive Wins Over Trinidad and Tobago
For thirty-five years, American soccer had wandered in the wilderness. Since 1950, when a ragtag group of semi-professionals shocked mighty England in Brazil, the United States had not qualified for soccer's grandest tournament. Through decades of failed campaigns and diminishing hopes, the World Cup remained a distant dream for a nation where the beautiful game struggled for relevance. By 1985, with professional outdoor soccer leagues collapsing and the indoor game dominating what little soccer infrastructure existed, the drought had become more than a statistic—it was a painful reminder of America's isolation from the global game.
But in May 1985, a flicker of hope emerged on the long road to Mexico '86. The United States Men's National Team, assembled from scattered indoor leagues and college programs, found itself with a precious opportunity to change the narrative. Coach Alkis Panagoulias, a Greek tactician tasked with the seemingly impossible job of qualifying from the competitive CONCACAF region, knew what was at stake: "The whole future of outdoor soccer in America rests with our World Cup team," he declared. "If we fail, I feel outdoor soccer is doomed."
The Americans had navigated through the preliminary rounds of CONCACAF qualifying to reach this critical second-round group featuring Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica. With the format sending only the group winner forward to face Honduras and Canada in the final qualifying round, the stakes could not have been higher for coach Alkis Panagoulias and his squad assembled from indoor and outdoor leagues across the country.
The qualifying series against Trinidad and Tobago began on May 15 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where 15,823 fans gathered to witness a contest that lacked the electric atmosphere characteristic of World Cup qualifiers in many nations. Despite the subdued environment, the match would produce a dramatic conclusion that rekindled hope for American soccer.
Trinidad and Tobago shocked the crowd early, taking the lead 18 minutes and 41 seconds into the match. The sequence began when Erhardt Kapp's pass was intercepted during an American attack, leading to a swift counter. Julian Garcia picked off the errant pass and launched a long ball toward Adrian Fonrose. American stopper Jeff Durgan leaped but failed to intercept, allowing Fonrose to collect the ball and chip it over goalkeeper David Brcic, a St. Louis native making his start on home soil.
The Americans responded quickly, equalizing just five minutes later. Chico Borja found the net after 23 minutes and 20 seconds, converting a cross from Hugo Perez, who had received a precise long pass from Perry Van Der Beck on the right wing. Borja beat Trinidad goalkeeper Michael Maurice under the roof of the net, bringing the home crowd back to life. As the match progressed into the second half, Trinidad and Tobago's strategy of catching the Americans in offside positions repeatedly frustrated the hosts. The most significant chance came in the 74th minute when Kelvin Jones cleared Borja's shot off the goal line, preserving the deadlock.
With the match seemingly destined for a draw, Mark Peterson delivered a moment of magic with just 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining. The Tacoma, Washington native volleyed a right-footed shot from 18 yards after receiving a pass from Erhardt Kapp on the left side. Though Maurice got his hands on the relatively weak shot, the ball slipped through his grasp, struck the inside of the right post, and trickled across the line.
"It's always been my dream to score a goal in a World Cup game," Peterson said afterward. "When it proves to be the winning goal, it means so much more. Erhardt gave me a good pass, and I just volleyed it."
The dramatic victory gave the United States a crucial advantage in its qualifying campaign. Still, with a second match against Trinidad and Tobago looming just four days later, Panagoulias knew his team would need to be sharper.
The scene shifted to El Camino College in Torrance, California, on May 19, where a disappointingly small crowd of just 6,511 gathered to witness the second leg of the qualifying series. Trinidad and Tobago, now mathematically eliminated from advancing after a loss and a draw to Costa Rica in late April, were playing for "national pride," according to coach Roderick Warner. The visitors also had additional motivation—they felt robbed of a penalty decision in the first match and were disappointed that financial difficulties had forced their federation to sell their home game to the United States for a reported $40,000.
Panagoulias made several strategic adjustments to his lineup, replacing defenders Jeff Durgan and Kapp and midfielder Charlie Fajkus. In their places came UCLA's Paul Caligiuri and 19-year-old Mike Windischmann on defense, while Van der Beck moved from defense to midfield, replaced in the back by Gregg Thompson.
The changes paid dividends just 15 minutes into the match. After a period of early American pressure, Thompson played a short corner to Van Der Beck, who floated a crossing pass into the goalmouth. Moving forward from his defensive position, Caligiuri escaped his marker and rose to meet the ball with a sharp header that caught Trinidad goalkeeper Michael Maurice slightly out of position. Despite a desperate dive, Maurice could not prevent the ball from finding the far corner.
"You have to be prepared when the chances present themselves, no matter what your position," Caligiuri said afterward. "Perry hit a great, great cross."
The goal was significant for Caligiuri, coming in his first World Cup qualifying start in his hometown. Though he had appeared as a substitute in the St. Louis match, this was his moment to shine before a home crowd.
The Americans could not extend their lead despite creating half a dozen clear scoring opportunities. Trinidad and Tobago's Maurice played brilliantly in goal, repeatedly frustrating the U.S. forwards with exceptional saves throughout the second half. The Americans even squandered a penalty kick late in the match when Perez failed to convert after Ricky Davis was brought down in the penalty area.
At the other end, U.S. goalkeeper Arnold Mausser, who replaced David Brcic from the first match, was called upon to make one crucial save. "I had it all the way," Mausser said after flinging himself to his right to grab a dangerous header from Trinidad's Garnet Craig. "I was very comfortable with it. I got two hands on it, so I knew I was in good shape."
Though the Americans prevailed 1-0, Trinidad and Tobago's coach Warner offered a sobering assessment: "I was not particularly impressed by the USA. Please respect my frankness, but they are not World Cup material."
With the back-to-back victories, the United States moved to the top of their qualifying group with four points from two matches, putting them in a prime position to advance to the final qualifying round. Costa Rica, with three points, remained close behind.
The Americans now faced a crucial home-and-away series against Costa Rica—first in San Jose, Costa Rica, on May 26, and then back in Los Angeles on May 31. A victory in either match would secure the Americans' place in the September final qualifying round against Canada and Honduras.
For a nation that had failed to qualify for the World Cup since 1950, these matches represented more than just games. As Panagoulias dramatically stated after the first win: "We performed a miracle tonight. We have no outdoor soccer. The only outdoor team we have is our national team. The whole future of outdoor soccer in America rests with our World Cup team. If we fail, I feel outdoor soccer is doomed."
The stakes could not have been higher for American soccer, a sport fighting for relevance in a crowded sports landscape. With professional outdoor leagues struggling for survival, the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign carried the hopes of an entire sport on its shoulders. As the team prepared for the decisive matches against Costa Rica, the players understood that the journey to Mexico '86 was far from over. But for now, the dream remained very much alive on the strength of Peterson's dramatic winner in St. Louis and Caligiuri's header in Torrance.
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