Pre-World Cup Win Over Jamaica

On This Day in 2002, a Few Injury Scares Tempered a Rout in the Penultimate Match Leading Into the World Cup

With the World Cup just three weeks away, the United States Men's National Team navigated a series of dramatic developments that threatened to disrupt years of careful planning. Coach Bruce Arena's squad had been forced to confront the loss of a key starter, celebrate the career of an American soccer pioneer, and manage the integration of players returning from European leagues – all while trying to finalize preparations for soccer's global showcase.

The most significant blow came during Sunday's 2-1 victory over Uruguay in Washington, when defensive midfielder Chris Armas tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The injury, which occurred without contact as Armas tracked Uruguay's Fabian O'Neill on the right wing, ended the 29-year-old veteran's World Cup dreams.

"I'm extremely disappointed," said Armas. "It was a very odd play, a movement that I have made a thousand times. I had just planted my right foot, and I felt the knee go."

It marked the second time a knee injury had prevented the popular midfielder from representing his country in a major tournament, after a sprained ligament in his left knee forced him to withdraw from the 2000 Olympic team. Though slight in stature at 5 feet 7 inches and 150 pounds, Armas had been a steadying presence in midfield, maintaining proper positioning, winning balls, and distributing them efficiently. He had made 46 appearances with the national team since 1998.

With several options for replacing Armas—including Pablo Mastroeni, Claudio Reyna, John O'Brien and Tony Sanneh—Arena faced difficult tactical decisions. Armas's absence further tainted an already vulnerable defense, particularly after outside backs Sanneh and David Regis struggled against Uruguay.

Meanwhile, the team gathered at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark on Tuesday to witness the retirement announcement of Tab Ramos, one of American soccer's pioneering figures. Though not on the 2002 World Cup roster, Ramos had represented the U.S. in three previous World Cups ('90, '94, '98) and was the first player signed by Major League Soccer in 1996.

"I've lived a dream," said the 35-year-old Ramos. "It's time to get on with my life and enjoy my kids and family more. There is no hesitation or second thoughts." For the current national team players in attendance – several of whom had grown up watching Ramos – the ceremony provided perspective on the fleeting nature of international careers and the significance of the opportunity that awaited them in South Korea.

As Thursday's match against Jamaica approached, Arena's squad was further bolstered by the arrival of several European-based players, including Reyna, O'Brien, Eddie Lewis and goalkeeper Kasey Keller. The team also welcomed back striker Brian McBride, who had overcome serious health challenges to secure his place on the World Cup roster.

McBride, 29, had twice had shattered cheekbones reconstructed and undergone two operations for a rare clotting disorder in his right arm since the last tournament. He had finally regained full health after spending 10 days in the hospital and two and a half months on blood thinners following his most recent surgery.

"It's your job; you're going to get hit in the upper body and the face," McBride said of his injuries. "You put it behind you. You can't afford to be tentative."

With these storylines swirling around the team for this May 16 friendly, Arena made 10 changes to the lineup that had defeated Uruguay. Reyna stepped into Armas's position in defensive midfield for the Jamaica match, though he appeared sluggish after playing over the weekend with Sunderland in the English Premier League. Against this backdrop of controversy and concern, the Americans delivered a stunning offensive display at Giants Stadium, overwhelming Jamaica 5-0 before 30,659 spectators.

Josh Wolff scored twice, while Clint Mathis, DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan added goals for the counterattacking Americans. More impressively, the 20-year-old Donovan delivered two assists in addition to his goal, demonstrating the creative playmaking ability that had soccer experts predicting stardom for the young forward.

"We've been focusing on getting guys around the ball, getting it and going forward," said Wolff, whose speed proved troublesome for the Jamaican defense all evening. "We have a good mentality, and we get after guys."

The American attack finally came alive in the 32nd minute when Donovan stole a ball near midfield and pushed it ahead on the right flank to Joe-Max Moore. The veteran sprinted into the penalty area and lofted a cross to the fleet Wolff, who timed his run perfectly and finished with a diving header inside the left post. Mathis raised his energy level after halftime when he entered as an attacking midfielder. In the 47th minute, Donovan played a through ball to Wolff, who crossed to Mathis. From the top of the penalty area, Mathis buried the shot to give the United States a 2-0 lead.

For those brief 18 minutes before his injury, it was captivating to watch Mathis and Wolff working in tandem. In the 60th minute, Donovan tapped the ball at the top of the penalty box to Wolff, who lashed it inside the left post for a 3-0 lead. The advantage swelled to 4-0 in the 84th minute when Donovan ran onto a pass from Lewis and placed a left-footed shot beneath the diving Jamaican goalkeeper, Aaron Lawrence. Beasley, the 19-year-old who had impressed against Uruguay, scored the final goal on an assist from Lewis in the 92nd minute.

But victory came at a cost. In the 51st minute, goalkeeper Kasey Keller left the game after sustaining a contusion below his left knee in a collision with Jamaica's Deon Burton. In the 63rd minute, Mathis limped off after having the nail shattered on his right big toe. Greg Vanney, a roster alternate who started at left back, retired in the 46th minute after spraining his left knee during a rough tackle.

"I'll be all right," Mathis said afterward, explaining that he believed a Jamaican defender had stepped on his toe as he scored. "It started feeling worse and worse, like the toe was going to blow up."

The early medical reports proved encouraging. Keller's injury occurred below the knee, not on the kneecap. "Everything is really stable inside the kneecap," Keller reported. "Had this been a World Cup match, I might have remained in the game."

Three days later, the Americans received a sobering reality check when they faced the Netherlands in their final World Cup tuneup match in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Despite not qualifying for the World Cup, the ninth-ranked Dutch team – featuring stars who play for elite European clubs like Juventus, Barcelona and Lazio – handed the U.S. a 2-0 defeat that provided valuable perspective.

"In 1998, it was men against boys," said Arena, referencing a previous exhibition loss to the Dutch during the last World Cup cycle. "This was a real good game."

The caliber of opposition forced the Americans to elevate their game. Several players, particularly the 19-year-old Beasley, showed remarkable progress. The Dutch knocked Beasley down nine times but kept bouncing back with increasingly sophisticated moves that would have been beyond his capabilities even a month earlier.

Dutch coach Dick Advocaat offered a balanced assessment after the match: "They created a lot of chances against Holland and they should do well. In a way, this was good for them. They beat Uruguay, 2-1, and they beat Jamaica, 5-0. This shows that going to the World Cup, you have to do better."

With injuries reportedly less severe than initially feared – Mathis featured for 56 minutes against the Netherlands despite his sore toe – the Americans could now look ahead to their World Cup opener cautiously. Arena filled the final roster spot left vacant by Armas's injury with Steve Cherundolo, a diminutive right back recalled from California.

The defense remained a concern. The first Dutch goal came when Roy Makaay wriggled behind Eddie Pope in the 45th minute, and the second after David Regis and Gregg Berhalter allowed Andy van der Meyde to get behind them in the 76th minute. But the emergence of young talents like Beasley, Donovan, and the recovered Wolff, combined with Mathis's scoring instincts, gave the Americans attacking options they had rarely enjoyed in previous World Cup campaigns.

"The kids are all right," as George Vescey of the NY Times noted for the American squad heading to the biggest sports tournament in the world, that might have been the most encouraging sign of all.