McBride's Masterclass

On This Day in 2002, the Forward Scored the Sixth Hat-Trick in USMNT History in a Win Over El Salvador at the Gold Cup

2002 was always going to be about one thing for the United States men's national team: preparation for the World Cup. Every match, every training session, every tactical wrinkle would be measured against the standard of readiness for that summer's tournament in Japan and South Korea. The CONCACAF Gold Cup, squeezed into the winter calendar, offered Bruce Arena exactly what he needed—a competitive proving ground to evaluate his domestic-based players while his European stars remained with their clubs.

Arena brought 28 players to camp in Claremont, California, a roster conspicuously missing most of the Americans playing abroad. Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, John O'Brien, Earnie Stewart, Claudio Reyna, Joe-Max Moore, and Jovan Kirovski all stayed in Europe, leaving Arena to assess his Major League Soccer contingent. The tournament would serve a dual purpose: give playing time to players proving themselves, and monitor the recovery of two critical pieces—Georgia natives Clint Mathis and Josh Wolff, both working their way back from significant injuries.

The Gold Cup began awkwardly rather than with authority. Against South Korea, young defenders Dan Califf and Carlos Bocanegra were exposed repeatedly. The Americans managed an early goal through Landon Donovan, only to concede an equalizer three minutes later. The match dragged into injury time at 1-1 before DaMarcus Beasley rescued the effort with a stoppage-time winner. "This was not a pretty game," Arena admitted. "We were a little uncoordinated."

Three days later, against Cuba, the Americans secured a quarterfinal berth but continued to frustrate. Brian McBride's 22nd-minute penalty kick provided the only goal in a 1-0 victory before a sparse crowd of 18,500 at the Rose Bowl. The Americans dominated possession, but finishing remained elusive. "We wanted to get that second goal right away, but we couldn't," McBride said afterward.

El Salvador arrived for Sunday's quarterfinal carrying a dismal 1-4-7 (WDL) all-time record against the Americans with zero wins on United States soil. After a conservative approach against Mexico, El Salvador had done enough attacking against Guatemala to advance. Arena expected them to revert to caution in the knockout round. The rain came in sheets over Pasadena on January 27, a constant drizzle that made the Rose Bowl pitch slick. The 31,628 spectators who braved the weather were rewarded with the complete performance the United States had desperately needed.

It took just nine minutes for McBride to break through. Frankie Hejduk sent a cross from the right that deflected off defender Guillermo Garcia. McBride flung himself toward the goal and redirected a header into the upper right corner past goalkeeper Santos Rivera. Two minutes later, Chris Armas launched a long ball from midfield. Cobi Jones chased it down and dribbled around Rivera, stumbling as he rounded the goalkeeper. The ball rolled perfectly into McBride's path on the right side for a simple first-time finish into the empty net.

El Salvador was reeling. In the 21st minute, the United States delivered the knockout blow. Ante Razov's penetrating run opened space for Eddie Lewis on the left touchline. Lewis sent a cross toward the goal line, where Donovan collected it, whirled, and tapped the ball to McBride standing a yard from the goal. The left-footed strike made it 3-0.

12 minutes. Three goals. It was the fastest hat-trick in United States history, and it had essentially ended the match before halftime. McBride had not scored multiple goals since November 1997—this was the first American hat-trick since Joe-Max Moore's four goals against El Salvador in December 1993.

The second half became a formality. In the 62nd minute, Clint Mathis entered for his first appearance since injuring his knee seven months earlier. In the 72nd minute, Beasley beat his defender on the left flank and crossed for Razov to finish, capping a 4-0 victory.

For McBride, the hat trick represented vindication after a harrowing 18 months. The blood disorder that had caused clotting in his arm had sidelined him for nearly all of 2000 and 2001. He'd undergone surgery to remove a rib, then endured a debilitating regimen of blood thinners that caused him to lose weight and muscle. "It felt really good today," McBride said. "The guys were seeing me today, and Ante was freeing up a lot of space for me, so I had room to move."

Arena praised his striker's finishing ability. "Obviously, he finished his chances quite well; the goal with the header was quite a good shot. The second and third were relatively easy." The only disappointment was that McBride would miss the upcoming friendly against Italy due to his mid-February wedding.

The statistics underscored McBride's importance. The United States now stood at 13-1-1 in matches in which he scored. He had proven himself capable of delivering in crucial moments despite battling injuries throughout his career—broken cheekbones, a fractured ankle, and now the blood disorder. Fully recovered and regaining form, McBride had reminded everyone why he remained essential to World Cup plans.

The victory set up a semifinal clash with defending Gold Cup champion Canada on Wednesday at the Rose Bowl. South Korea had advanced past Mexico on penalty kicks in the day's other quarterfinal and would face Costa Rica. For Arena, the tournament remained about evaluation. Mathis had logged 27 minutes in his return, looking solid if not yet match-fit. "It's going to take him probably another two months before he's ready," Arena assessed, "but it's good to see him back on the field."

The concerns weren't entirely gone. Razov had suffered a groin injury, and Bocanegra had hurt his ankle. "We're probably going to have to replace a couple of players," Arena acknowledged. El Salvador coach Jorge Humberto Recinos offered no excuses after his team was outshot 19-5. "The U.S. team was totally superior to us," he said simply. "They scored the first two goals early. Nobody was prepared for that."

Beyond the Gold Cup, the road stretched toward friendlies against Italy, Honduras, Germany, and Ireland—all of which were building toward that June 5 opener against Portugal in Suwon. On a rainy Sunday in southern California, McBride had delivered the kind of performance that reminded everyone why the World Cup journey demanded this level of preparation. For 12 magnificent minutes, he had shown the clinical form that made him indispensable to Arena's plans.