Lone Bright Spot of the 2006 World Cup

On This Day in 2006, the US Found Honor in a Draw with Future World Cup Champions Italy

In the spring of 2006, Bruce Arena possessed the quiet confidence of a coach whose team carried the fifth-best ranking in the world. The United States had reached the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, losing only to Germany in a match that might have ended differently without a controversial non-call. As Arena paced the locker room before friendlies and spoke of aggressive attacking play, his words carried the weight of legitimate expectation. This was no longer the amateur collection that had been embarrassed by Czechoslovakia in 1990. These were professionals, seasoned by Major League Soccer's growing credibility and European club experience, ready to prove that their 2002 success was no fluke.

The optimism seemed justified when Arena named his 23-man roster for Germany. Half the squad had previous World Cup experience. Players like Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley had matured from promising youngsters into established internationals. The European contingent brought technical sophistication, while the MLS core provided the fitness and determination that had become American soccer's calling card. Arena's tactical flexibility had served the team well in South Korea, adapting formations and strategies to maximize his players' strengths while minimizing their limitations.

Yet, beneath the confident exterior lay the fundamental challenge that had always defined American soccer: the lack of world-class talent. Arena understood this reality better than anyone. His philosophy focused on what his players could do, rather than lamenting what they could not. As Donovan had observed, "We're not the most talented team in the world, by far. But we are one of the most competitive, with the best spirit, the fittest, and with some of the best athletes."

This pragmatic approach would be tested immediately in Germany, where the Americans found themselves grouped with the Czech Republic, Italy, and Ghana. The Czechs, ranked second in the world, possessed the technical brilliance and tactical sophistication that had made them quarterfinalists in 1990 as Czechoslovakia. Italy brought the defensive mastery and tournament experience that had made them perennial contenders. Even Ghana, making their World Cup debut, carried the athletic dynamism and fearless spirit that had lifted African soccer to new heights.

The tournament opened disastrously for the Americans on June 12 at Gelsenkirchen's modern stadium. Against the Czech Republic, all of Arena's careful preparation unraveled spectacularly. The supposedly aging Czechs, led by the irrepressible Pavel Nedved, dominated from the opening whistle. Jan Koller's fifth-minute header from a perfectly executed cross set the tone for what would become a humiliating 3-0 defeat. Tomas Rosický added two brilliant goals, including a 30-yard strike that left Keller helpless, as the Americans appeared tentative and overmatched.

"It was embarrassing," Donovan admitted afterward, while Arena's post-match criticism was scathing. The coach who had built his reputation on maximizing his players' potential found himself questioning their basic commitment. Donovan "showed no aggressiveness," while Beasley provided nothing in midfield. Only Claudio Reyna, the veteran captain, and Bobby Convey escaped Arena's wrath for at least showing "courage to attack."

The defeat sent shockwaves through American soccer. This was not the college-based team of 1990 that could be excused for its inexperience. These were professionals ranked among the world's top five teams, yet they had been systematically dismantled by opponents who seemed to operate on a different level entirely. The Americans' goal drought stretched to nearly 400 minutes, their tactical identity appeared confused, and their World Cup dreams hung by the thinnest of threads.

As the team prepared for Italy, the mathematics were stark. Having lost their opener, the Americans needed results against two traditional powers to have any chance of advancing. Italy, despite their reputation for defensive caution, had won the opening match against Ghana 2-0 and needed only a draw to virtually guarantee their passage to the knockout rounds. The Italians could afford to be patient, methodical, and conservative – everything that typically spelled doom for American opponents.

Yet Ghana's stunning 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic earlier on June 17 had completely scrambled Group E's dynamics. Suddenly, every team remained alive for the second round, and the Americans found themselves with a glimmer of hope. A victory over Italy would put them in an excellent position, while even a draw would keep their chances alive heading into the final group match against Ghana.

Arena made tactical adjustments that reflected both lessons learned from the Czech debacle and the desperate need for points. Clint Dempsey, the fearless young midfielder who played "with naïve confidence and complete fearlessness," replaced the ineffective Beasley on the right wing. Carlos Bocanegra moved to left back, providing defensive solidity in place of Eddie Lewis. The formation remained nominally 4-5-1, but Arena's instructions emphasized attacking intent whenever possession was won.

The Americans who took the field at Kaiserslautern's Fritz-Walter-Stadion bore little resemblance to the tentative team that had faced the Czechs. From the opening whistle, they pressed forward with the urgency of players who understood that their World Cup lives hung in the balance. Dempsey immediately announced his intentions, firing a cross across the goalmouth that Eddie Pope narrowly failed to redirect. The young midfielder's confidence was infectious, and for the first time in the tournament, the Americans appeared to believe they belonged on the same field as their opponents.

In the 16th minute, Dempsey's low shot from atop the penalty area whistled just wide of the far post. Bobby Convey blasted another attempt high over the crossbar as the Americans generated the kind of sustained pressure that had been their trademark in 2002. For the first time in the tournament, they appeared to be dictating tempo rather than merely reacting to their opponents' initiatives.

The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute through Italy's methodical precision. Pablo Mastroeni fouled Francesco Totti, Italy's elegant playmaker, 26 yards from goal. Andrea Pirlo's low free kick found Alberto Gilardino, who powered a diving header past Keller to give Italy the lead. It was precisely the kind of clinical finish that separated elite teams from pretenders, and for a moment, it appeared that the Americans' improved play would be unrewarded.

But then, a bizarre sequence unfolded. In the 27th minute, the United States earned a free kick on the right side. As the Reyna's cross sailed toward the penalty area, Italian defender Cristian Zaccardo positioned himself to clear the danger at the back post. With Brian McBride lurking, Zaccardo badly mishit his clearance attempt. The ball bounced off his left ankle and into his own net. The score was tied 1-1, and the Americans had their first goal of the tournament through the most unlikely of circumstances.

Italy's composure, legendary for its ice-cold professionalism, completely evaporated. One minute later, as a high ball bounced in the American half, Daniele De Rossi committed an hostile act. Chasing the ball alongside McBride, the Italian midfielder threw a vicious elbow into the American's left cheek, opening a gash that sent blood streaming down McBride's face. Referee Jorge Larrionda of Uruguay, who had been explicitly warned about elbowing incidents, immediately produced the red card that ejected De Rossi from the match.

With Italy reduced to ten men for the final 62 minutes, the match's dynamics shifted dramatically. The Americans, emboldened by their numerical advantage, began to press forward with renewed confidence. Mastroeni nearly gave the United States the lead in the 42nd minute, curling a shot from 35 yards that sailed just over the crossbar. The Americans were playing with a freedom and creativity that had been entirely absent against the Czechs, and Italy's defensive wall showed signs of cracking under sustained pressure.

Then came the moment that changed everything. In the final minute of the first half, Mastroeni's rashness proved costly. The veteran midfielder slid into Pirlo with both feet, cleats extended, in a challenge that referee Larrionda deemed worthy of a red card. Arena threw up his arms in disgust, believing the ejection was a makeup call for De Rossi's dismissal. Still, replays suggested the referee had made the correct decision according to the written guidelines.

The match resumed with both teams reduced to ten men, but Italy's numerical advantage would soon be restored. Two minutes into the second half, Pope tackled Gilardino from behind, earning his second yellow card of the match and a mandatory ejection. The Americans would have to play the final 43 minutes with only nine men – a goalkeeper and eight field players. Rather than collapsing under the pressure, the United States found reserves of determination that surprised even their coach. The game grew frantic on the wide, open field, with both teams charging into the spaces left by the reduced numbers.

Arena inserted Jimmy Conrad for defensive stability and brought on the fleet Beasley for fresh legs in midfield. The tactical chess match continued as Italy's coach replaced Luca Toni with Vincenzo Iaquinta, seeking the pace needed to crack the tiring Americans. In the 65th minute, Beasley thought he had given the United States a remarkable 2-1 lead. The midfielder sprinted into the penalty area and drilled a low shot into the net, only to have the goal nullified for offside. Television replays suggested McBride had indeed been beyond the final defender when the pass was made, but Arena's protests were futile.

The Americans' heroic resistance continued as the match entered its final stages. Keller, playing the game of his World Cup career, produced a series of crucial saves that kept Italy at bay. He batted away a volley from Del Piero, then parried another blast from the Italian substitute. When Iaquinta found himself alone in front of the goal, the ball skittered just past his reach. Oguchi Onyewu, the powerful young defender who had struggled against the Czechs, became a symbol of American determination. Late in the match, he cleared a ball from the goalmouth with a booming kick, then pumped his fist in defiance. When Italy earned a corner kick, Onyewu headed it away with authority.

"You're playing for your country," Onyewu explained afterward. "That gives you adrenaline right there. I had to show my appreciation. We were playing in Germany, and the crowd was for us. We rarely get that kind of support back home."

The 1-1 result against Italy represented more than just a crucial point in the group standings. It validated the American approach that Arena had spent years developing – maximizing effort, fitness, and determination to compete with more talented opponents. The performance proved that the Czech Republic's loss had been an aberration rather than a revelation of fundamental inadequacy.

"I thought we were the better team on the night," Arena declared. "We got the 1 point. I'm happy Game 3 means something to us."

Yet the Americans' World Cup hopes remained precarious. With one point from two matches and a goal differential of 1-4, they needed to defeat Ghana in their final group match while hoping Italy would beat the Czech Republic. Only such a combination of results would secure their advancement to the knockout rounds.

The decisive match came on June 22 in Nuremberg, where the weight of expectation proved too heavy for the Americans to bear. Ghana took the lead in the 22nd minute when Haminu Draman stripped Reyna of the ball and scored past Keller. The United States captain left the match on a stretcher with an ankle injury, removing the team's most composed player at a crucial moment. It was also the last appearance for Reyna in an American shirt.

Dempsey equalized in the 43rd minute after Beasley's perfectly weighted cross, but the Americans' joy was short-lived. In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, referee Markus Merk awarded Ghana a controversial penalty kick when Onyewu was judged to have fouled Razak Pimpong in the penalty area. Television replays suggested minimal contact, but Stephen Appiah's penalty found the upper corner to restore Ghana's lead.

"I am disappointed in the judgment of the referee in the penalty call," Arena said afterward. "We would have liked to come out at halftime even, with a chance to win the game."

The Americans rallied in the second half, with McBride hitting the post with a header and Onyewu directing another effort just over the crossbar. But the goals that might have changed everything never came. Ghana held on for a 2-1 victory that sent them to the second round as the first African team to advance in the 2006 tournament, while the United States was eliminated without a single win.

The final statistics were damning: one goal scored in three matches, no wins, and an early exit from a tournament where they had harbored legitimate ambitions of matching their 2002 quarterfinal appearance. Donovan, who had been expected to be the team's creative catalyst, managed only three underwhelming performances.

Yet the image that lingered from the Americans' World Cup campaign was not the humiliation against the Czech Republic or the heartbreak against Ghana. It was the sight of nine men in red, white, and blue, standing firm against Italy's relentless pressure in the sweltering heat of Kaiserslautern. For 43 minutes, they had shown the world what American soccer could be at its best – determined, resilient, and utterly unwilling to concede. Italy would end up winning the World Cup in dramatic fashion, a penalty shootout victory over France in the final.

As Arena faced questions about his future with the national team, he could take solace in knowing that for one unforgettable afternoon in Germany, his players had embodied everything he had tried to teach them about competing at the highest level. The road ahead would require new leadership and fresh ideas, but the foundation remained solid. Nine men standing firm against the eventual world champions had proven that with the right combination of preparation, determination, and tactical intelligence, the United States could compete with anyone. The challenge was making such performances the rule rather than the exception.