On This Day in 1997, the US Earned Its First Win in the Final Round of World Cup Qualifying
In early 1997, the United States Men's National Team was at a crossroads. After going winless in their previous six matches (0-4-2) and opening the final round of World Cup qualifying with a scoreless draw in Jamaica, pressure mounted on Steve Sampson's squad heading into a crucial home qualifier against Canada at Stanford Stadium.
The match on March 16 was particularly significant. The Americans desperately needed three points to keep pace in the six-team CONCACAF final round, where only three nations would qualify for France '98. Sampson made bold lineup changes, notably dropping forward Brian McBride and turning to the team's growing German connection.
"The key is to not become tense and tight because of the pressure," Sampson stated before the match, acknowledging the weight of expectations on his squad. His tactical gamble involved partnering Eric Wynalda with David Wagner, a German-born son of a U.S. serviceman who had just 90 minutes of international experience. The decision to pair the two seemed natural - as Wynalda later revealed, "A lot of people thought we would have trouble communicating, but we just spoke German all the time."
The American roster showcased an increasing European influence, mainly from Germany. Besides Wagner, who played for Schalke 04, the lineup featured German-born Thomas Dooley and Bundesliga-based Claudio Reyna of Bayer Leverkusen. It would later introduce Michael Mason of Hamburg SV - another German-born player who had only received his U.S. passport a month earlier after being discovered through an email from a fan club member. The German contingent represented a new wave of dual-nationals strengthening the American player pool, with Dooley already a veteran of 64 international appearances.
The United States, facing a Canadian side reeling from a 4-0 defeat to Mexico, found their breakthrough early. In the seventh minute, Canadian goalkeeper Craig Forrest collided with Reyna in the penalty area, leading to a penalty kick that Wynalda converted for his 29th international goal. The lead doubled six minutes later when Eddie Pope headed home his first international goal off a Jeff Agoos corner kick that Wagner had cleverly flicked on.
While the Americans controlled much of the play, outshooting Canada 11-3 in the first half, defensive uncertainties still showed. "This is something we have to improve upon," Sampson admitted, particularly noting the relationship between midfielders Reyna, John Harkes, and Dooley needed strengthening. One constant remained the reliable presence of goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who extended his shutout streak to 550 minutes of international play, dating back to an own goal against Brazil in January 1996.
The match's final flourish came in the 89th minute through another German-American connection. Mason, making his U.S. debut as a second-half substitute, received a pass from Wynalda and delivered a brilliant ball to Ernie Stewart, who finished confidently to seal the 3-0 victory. Despite Mason's decisive assist, Sampson remained measured in his assessment: "Obviously, the assist on the goal was a brilliant pass, but defensively I was not pleased."
The win moved the Americans into a first-place tie with Mexico and marked Canada's worst defeat to the United States in almost 71 years. A crowd of 28,896 witnessed what Alexi Lalas later characterized as smart tournament soccer: "You look to get points when you are away. And you make sure to get 3-point victories when you're at home."
The victory proved timely as the U.S. faced an upcoming qualifier in Costa Rica. They had already lost during the first qualifying round in a match marred by objects thrown from the stands. However, they would face that challenge without Stewart, who picked up his second yellow card of qualifying against Canada, ruling him out of the next match. Stewart's absence would be keenly felt, as he had been arguably the best American player against Canada, patrolling the right side of midfield.