On This Day in 1980, the U.S. beat Luxembourg Before Drawing with Portugal Three Days Later
The Olympic dream had died in a White House announcement, not on a soccer field. Less than seven months after qualifying for Moscow, the American soccer team found themselves spectators to a geopolitical drama that rendered their achievement meaningless. But there was no time for extended mourning. The 1982 World Cup beckoned, and with it came another opportunity to prove that American soccer belonged on the world stage.
Coach Walt Chyzowych assembled a squad drawn almost entirely from the North American Soccer League, with only Ty Keough representing the fledgling Major Indoor Soccer League with the St. Louis Steamers. The roster read like a NASL all-star team: Boris Bandov, Ricky Davis, Angelo DiBernardo, and Larry Hulcer from the mighty New York Cosmos; Ringo Cantillo and goalkeeper Arnie Mausser from the New England Tea Men; Winston DuBose and Perry Van Der Beck from Tampa Bay. In October, Chyzowych would lead this group on a five-match European tour designed to prepare them for World Cup qualifying against Mexico and Canada, scheduled to begin later that month.
The tour started inauspiciously in Germany, where Bundesliga side Nuremberg dispatched the Americans 3-0. Three days later, on October 4, the United States faced Luxembourg's national team, seeking to rebuild confidence ahead of its next matches against Portugal and a return to Germany for two more tests.
At a modest venue in Luxembourg, the Americans found their rhythm. In the 27th minute, the Cosmos connection struck. Davis, deployed as a defensive striker despite his usual role as a defender in New York, delivered a crossing pass that found Hulcer. The forward controlled the ball and unleashed a 15-yard volley that beat the Luxembourg goalkeeper, giving the United States a 1-0 advantage.
For much of the match, that single goal appeared sufficient. DuBose, the Tampa Bay Rowdies goalkeeper, commanded his area with authority, denying Luxembourg any opportunity to equalize. His clean sheet performance provided the defensive foundation the Americans had lacked against Nuremberg. As the match entered its final minutes, the United States earned a penalty kick. Davis stepped forward in the 82nd minute and converted from the spot, doubling the American lead and providing an insurance goal that put the result beyond doubt. The 2-0 victory represented exactly what Chyzowych needed—a confidence-building performance against international opposition ahead of more challenging tests.
Three days later in Lisbon, the Americans faced significantly stiffer competition. Portugal, preparing for their own World Cup campaign, presented a different level of challenge than Luxembourg. Yet the reinvigorated Americans proved capable of matching their European opponents. Davis, increasingly comfortable in his striking role, found the net again in the 64th minute, giving the United States a 1-0 lead. This time, Mausser guarded the American goal, and although he performed admirably, Portugal managed to score an equalizer. The 1-1 draw extended the team's unbeaten streak to two matches and demonstrated growing cohesion.
But the tour's momentum would soon be overshadowed by an off-field dispute that nearly derailed the entire expedition. Player concerns about compensation and equipment endorsements had simmered beneath the surface since before departure. After Portugal, those tensions would explode into a full-blown confrontation between the players and the U.S. Soccer Federation. This conflict would test whether this team could maintain unity ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifying campaign against Canada on October 25 in Fort Lauderdale.
For now, though, the victories over Luxembourg and the draw with Portugal offered evidence that the talent existed. Whether organizational discord would squander that potential remained to be seen. The Americans had already lost one opportunity to compete on the world stage through circumstances beyond their control. They could not afford to lose another through self-inflicted wounds.