Columbus Travels to Cincinnati in Do-or-Die Playoff Match
FC Cincinnati will host the Columbus Crew on Saturday in a winner-take-all Game 3 of their Round One MLS Cup Playoffs series, with five U.S. Men's National Team players set to feature in the high-stakes Hell is Real rivalry showdown at TQL Stadium.
The match carries significant implications beyond the playoff series, as several USMNT players will be competing for spots on Mauricio Pochettino's roster ahead of November's international friendlies. FC Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson and goalkeeper Roman Celentano will face off against Columbus Crew's Max Arfsten, Patrick Schulte and Sean Zawadzki in what promises to be an intense atmosphere.
The series has been dramatic from the start. Cincinnati won Game 1 at home 1-0, but Columbus responded emphatically with a 4-0 rout at Lower.com Field last Sunday, with Arfsten scoring once and providing an assist. However, that lopsided scoreline largely resulted from FC Cincinnati's Yuya Kubo receiving a straight red card in the 38th minute, forcing the visitors to play down a man for over an hour.
The matchup carries historical weight for Cincinnati supporters, who still remember the heartbreaking 2023 Eastern Conference Final when Columbus rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit to win 3-2 in extra time at TQL Stadium. Head coach Pat Noonan acknowledged that difficult memory but emphasized his team's growth since then.
Cincinnati earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a league-leading defense and 18 one-goal victories this season, giving them home-field advantage for this decisive match. For the USMNT players involved, strong performances could bolster their World Cup aspirations ahead of 2026.
American Strikers Had a Good Day in Europe's Top Competition
Two U.S. men's national team strikers made their mark in Champions League action this midweek, with both Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun finding the back of the net for their respective clubs.
Balogun opened the scoring for AS Monaco in their 1-0 victory over Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt. Just before halftime, the American forward beat the defense and fired a powerful shot from a tight angle into the top corner, securing Monaco's first win of the league phase. This goal marked Balogun's first-ever Champions League strike and continued his recent run of form, having scored four times in his last eight matches across all competitions. The goal was particularly significant for the striker, who has struggled with consistency this season, moving in and out of lineups for both club and country.
Meanwhile, Pepi came off the bench to rescue a crucial point for PSV Eindhoven against Olympiakos. Deep into stoppage time with his team trailing, the substitute stepped up to convert a loose ball after a free kick and salvage a 1-1 draw for the Dutch side. The late equalizer showcased Pepi's continued strong form, as he has netted three goals in his last four appearances across all competitions.
Both strikers are competing for roster spots ahead of the 2026 World Cup under coach Mauricio Pochettino. While Balogun appears to be the frontrunner for the starting striker position after impressive performances in recent international windows, Pepi continues building his case with consistent scoring despite limited minutes following knee surgery.
On This Day in 1993, After a String of Defeats, Defender's Set-Piece Mastery Delivers a Victory the Americans Desperately Needed
The autumn of 1993 had stripped away any remaining romanticism about World Cup preparation. Norway's fluke goal at Ulleval Stadium on September 8 had demonstrated how quickly international matches turn on single moments of chaos. The subsequent draw with Mexico at RFK on October 13 had provided redemption for July's humiliation, but also exposed persistent finishing problems—Cobi Jones hitting the crossbar, Earnie Stewart denied by Jorge Campos from point-blank range, opportunities squandered with maddening regularity. Then came Ukraine, twice, with different lessons embedded in each defeat. The first loss on October 16 revealed what happened when Bora Milutinovic experimented too broadly, shuffling lineups until defensive cohesion dissolved. The second, on October 23, showed the Americans could dominate possession, manufacture chances, and still leave the field empty-handed. Alexi Lalas had rushed forward repeatedly, nearly scoring three times, yet Ukraine's single converted opportunity proved sufficient.
By November, the mathematics were brutal: seven wins, 12 losses and 11 draws across 30 matches during the year. More damning than the record was the pattern—the United States could control matches, create chances and find themselves staring at shutout defeats. Meanwhile, the injury list read like a World Cup nightmare. Fernando Clavijo and Cle Kooiman were recovering from knee surgeries. Paul Caligiuri and Marcelo Balboa were sidelined. Peter Vermes was facing two months out with a herniated disc and fractured vertebrae. The roster that would face Jamaica represented necessity as much as strategy.
The match at Fullerton's Titan Stadium on November 7 carried weight beyond another exhibition. With four matches remaining in 1993, this represented one of the final opportunities to solve the finishing crisis before rosters hardened into World Cup reality. Jamaica, using the match as preparation for Caribbean championships, arrived with no illusions—they packed their defense deep, conceding possession, waiting for American frustration to create counterattacking space.
For thirty-two minutes, the familiar script played out. The Americans controlled the ball, probed the Jamaican defense, and found no breakthrough. Then Hugo Perez lined up a corner kick, and the team executed what Lalas later called "a set play we do like 8,000 times a week in practice."
The targeting was deliberate. At 6-foot-3, Lalas possessed the aerial presence that transformed corner kicks from hopeful crosses into genuine scoring threats. His timing, honed through European training principles, separated him from defenders who merely jumped high—he understood when to accelerate, where space would appear, how to attack the ball rather than wait for it. Perez's delivery found him perfectly, and Lalas redirected it past Warren Barrett.
"This is my fantasy camp," Lalas explained afterward. "Most of the time I have to lay back and let the guys up front do the work." The goal was his fourth of the year, all headers off corner kicks. The consistency revealed both systematic effectiveness and troubling limitations. Set pieces had become the American safety net, the reliable method for breaking down organized defenses. But World Cup opponents would study these patterns, adjust their defensive positioning, deny the easy solutions.
The second half demonstrated both progress and persistent problems. Dante Washington, playing just his third match of the year while recovering from a groin injury, got free repeatedly against Jamaica's quick defense. His pace created separation, but his finishing portrayed rust. Three genuine chances came and went. Dominic Kinnear found him with a floating pass that should have produced a second goal—instead, Washington's shot sailed wide. "I'm trying to play as loosely as I can," Washington acknowledged. "I'm here to score. I'm trying. I came so close, yet so far."
The final statistics told the story Milutinovic both celebrated and feared: nine corner kicks to two, complete territorial dominance, yet only a single goal. Tony Meola recorded his sixth shutout of the year, but never faced serious pressure. The Americans had created the chances that win World Cup matches—they simply hadn't finished them. "We're making good progress," Milutinovic insisted. "Our team is so young... If you don't score a second goal, you tend to get settled."
The coach's measured optimism masked deeper concerns. Bill Nuttall, the general manager, had already acknowledged that Milutinovic's long-stated desire to have European-based players in camp for three months before the World Cup was not realistic. Roy Wegerle, John Harkes, Kasey Keller, John Doyle, Chad Deering, Eric Wynalda, Tad Ramos and Earnie Stewart—all remained with their European clubs, training at levels American facilities couldn't match, developing chemistry in matches that mattered more than friendlies.
The victory improved the Americans to 8-11-11 (WDL), but the path forward remained uncertain. The injury crisis had forced improvisation when stability was needed. The finishing problems persisted despite tactical improvements. The European-based players who might solve both issues remained unavailable until their club seasons concluded.
Three matches remained in 1993—the Cayman Islands next, then two more opportunities to refine the formula before the calendar turned toward World Cup reality. Standing in Fullerton, watching Lalas celebrate another header off another corner kick, the Americans understood their peculiar position. They had discovered reliable methods for creating chances and preventing goals. They had integrated European training principles with domestic determination. They had built the foundation for World Cup competitiveness.
What they hadn't yet discovered was how to consistently finish the opportunities their system created. That remained the essential question as 1993 wound down—whether set-piece reliability could carry them through a World Cup, or whether they needed to solve the deeper finishing crisis. The answer would determine whether the United States merely participated in their home World Cup or actually competed for something meaningful. For now, in California's autumn air, they celebrated the win and prepared for the work that remained.
Duo Did Not Make November Roster, Manager Allotting Them to Stay at Their Clubs
The absence of Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie from the U.S. Men's National Team's November roster raised eyebrows, as the 26-year-old is healthy and has started recent matches for his club, including a Champions League clash with Sporting CP. However, head coach Mauricio Pochettino explained that McKennie's omission was strategic rather than performance-based.
With Juventus having recently appointed new manager Luciano Spalletti following Igor Tudor's dismissal, Pochettino felt McKennie would benefit more from staying in Turin to solidify his position under the new coach. "It's important for Weston to be there and try to convince the [new] coaches," Pochettino said. "I think it's more important than maybe being with us because we already know what he can provide the team."
The situation with Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards proved more contentious. While Richards was left off due to a lingering calf issue, Palace manager Oliver Glasner publicly criticized Pochettino's handling of the player during October's friendlies, claiming the U.S. played Richards for the full 90 minutes in both matches despite his struggles with the injury.
"My only complaint is the U.S. team didn't talk to us because Chris was struggling with his calf for many weeks," Glasner stated, adding that the matches were "just friendlies."
Pochettino pushed back forcefully against these accusations, expressing disappointment with Glasner's comments and emphasized that the medical staff maintains constant contact with clubs and that player welfare is always the priority. He also took issue with the characterization of these matches as mere friendlies, stating: "We are not playing friendly games. We are playing games that are going to prepare us for our journey to the World Cup."
Pochettino Names 25-Man Roster Ahead of a Pair of Friendlies
U.S. Men's National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has announced his 25-player roster for November friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay, featuring notable returns and significant absences as the team continues preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
The squad will face Paraguay on November 15 at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, followed by a match against Uruguay on November 18 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, marking the team's first return to that venue since 2018. Both South American opponents have already qualified for the World Cup, providing valuable test matches for Pochettino's squad.
The most intriguing inclusion is Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Gio Reyna, who returns to the national team for the first time since March. Despite limited playing time at club level this season, Reyna receives what may be a crucial opportunity to make his case for World Cup inclusion. His Gladbach teammate Joe Scally also returns after missing recent camps.
PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi is back in the fold for the first time in 2025, bringing momentum from a stoppage-time Champions League equalizer against Olympiacos. He joins Monaco's Folarin Balogun, who also scored in Champions League action this week, and Coventry City's Haji Wright in a strengthened striker rotation.
However, the roster is notably missing several key players due to injuries. AC Milan's Christian Pulisic and Marseille's Tim Weah are recovering from various ailments, while Fulham's Antonee Robinson remains sidelined following knee surgery. Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie and Crystal Palace's Chris Richards were also left off despite both being healthy.
"As we continue to develop our squad and build on the culture we have created, this is another great opportunity for the players selected for this roster to prove they deserve to be on the final list for the World Cup," Pochettino stated.
The roster features eleven MLS players, with nine still competing in the league's playoff tournament.
Substitute Made His Mark With His Second-Half Winner
The United States Under-17 Men's National Team opened their 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso in Doha, Qatar, thanks to a crucial late goal from Philadelphia Union's Cavan Sullivan.
The 16-year-old midfielder made an immediate impact after entering as a substitute in the 62nd minute, replacing LAFC's Jude Terry. Sullivan found himself unmarked in the penalty area when Borussia Dortmund forward Mathis Albert delivered a cross from the left flank in the 79th minute. The ball fell perfectly for the young talent, who calmly slotted home with his left foot from close range to break the deadlock and secure all three points for the Americans.
The match at Aspire Zone was a tightly contested affair, with both teams creating opportunities throughout. Goalkeeper Aidan Stokes was instrumental in preserving the clean sheet, making four crucial saves to deny Burkina Faso's attacking threats. The Americans employed a possession-based approach while the West African side relied on quick counterattacks, making for an entertaining back-and-forth encounter.
This marked Sullivan's debut at the U-17 World Cup and continued his remarkable rise through professional soccer. The homegrown star signed with Philadelphia Union in 2024 and has already made waves in MLS, including becoming the youngest player to debut in league history. His future move to Manchester City in 2027, when he turns 18, reflects his status as one of the world's top young prospects, with many calling him a generational talent.
Sullivan is one of 11 MLS players representing the United States at the tournament, including Chicago Fire's Christopher Cupps and New York Red Bulls' Julian Hall. The victory puts the United States in second place in Group I as they prepare to face Tajikistan on November 8 and Czechia on November 11, with the top teams advancing to the knockout stages.
On This Day in 1926, the United States Overcomes Canada in Brooklyn, Sparked by Brown's and Auld's Brace
The fall of 1926 marked a pivotal moment for American soccer. The professional American Soccer League was thriving in its fifth season, drawing respectable crowds to matches across the Northeast corridor. Yet the United States Football Association harbored grander ambitions—to transform international matches from occasional curiosities into annual fixtures that could rival the prestige these contests held in Europe and South America.
"Soccer's growth in this country has persuaded the officials of the United States Football Association that the time has come to hold international matches here on a more pretentious scale," declared promotional materials for the upcoming Canada match. The USFA envisioned a future where teams from soccer-mad nations would make regular visits to American shores, with the proceeds devoted to developing amateur and schoolboy soccer throughout the country.
The November 6 encounter at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn represented the third meeting between the neighboring nations. The previous year had produced a split result—Canada claiming a 1-0 victory in Toronto on June 27 before the United States responded with a commanding 6-1 triumph in Brooklyn that November. This third match would determine which country held the series advantage, with a fourth contest scheduled for Canada in the spring.
The USFA was also laying the groundwork for enhanced international participation. Rule changes were being formulated to align American soccer with FIFA requirements, potentially opening the door for stars currently ineligible for international duty to represent the United States in the 1927-28 season. "Wherever soccer has become thoroughly organized—and that is in nearly forty nations now—international contests are the outstanding events of the season," noted The Brooklyn Citizen. The ambition was clear: establish the international "cap" as a mark of distinction for American players just as it was abroad.
Weather conditions on that November afternoon were ideal for soccer, with the Ebbets Field pitch in perfect condition—a stark contrast to the rain-soaked surface that had complicated the previous year's meeting. Yet the pull of college football proved formidable, limiting the crowd to estimates ranging from 2,500 to 8,000 spectators, depending on the account. Canada, wearing blue sweaters against the Americans' all-white kit, won the toss and kicked off in the middle of the afternoon. What followed was a disastrous opening minute for the home side. The Dominion players rushed down the field, and Roy Faulkner netted the ball within 60 seconds. The stunned American crowd had barely settled into their seats.
For the opening 21 minutes, things looked bleak for the United States' chances. The Canadians appeared fresher, with their combination play more fluid. The American stars failed to live up to their reputations. Canada controlled possession, with Faulkner repeatedly fed the ball on the right wing. Malcolm Moon of the Lachine Football Club of Montreal, substituting at right halfback, made the strongest impression of any visiting player. The second Canadian goal arrived at the twenty-two-minute mark when George Graham converted a center from Jimmy Baillie on the left. The American defense appeared overwhelmed.
The breakthrough came at 26 minutes, marked by a controversial moment. Davey Brown, the New York Giants center forward and the only native American on the United States side, forced Canadian goalkeeper Joe Kennaway over his own goal line. The Canadians immediately protested the closeness of the decision, but referee C.E. Creighton remained unmoved, awarding the goal. According to The Brooklyn Daily Times, Kennaway had stepped over the line into the mouth of the goal while picking up the ball after blocking a shot, and Brown "rushed into the cage and netted the ball."
The contentious tally shifted momentum. Two corners followed in rapid succession for the United States on the right wing, and Bill Carnihan, the tall Bethlehem halfback who had been playing well in defense, nearly equalized when he lifted the ball just over the bar. Still, Canada maintained their 2-1 advantage at halftime. The American transformation in the second half was total. After 10 or so minutes of what a New York Times reporter described as "more or less listless" play, the United States finally "got into their proper swing." Ten minutes into the half, the Americans forced a corner. Tome Florie kicked to Andy Auld at inside left, whose shot through a tangle of legs to level the score at 2-2.
Two minutes later, Florie himself converted from Auld's pass, placing the United States ahead 3-2 for the first time. The Americans began to dominate. 20 minutes into the second half, the Americans were awarded a free kick after Bill Dinnie committed a foul. Jock Marshall, the heavily built but speedy 200-pound fullback from Newark, stepped up and drove home the fourth goal. Just one minute later, Marshall drove up the field to Auld, who passed to Brown. "Using his knee for a catapult, Brown sent the ball into the net" for his second goal and the Americans' fifth, as the New York Times described it. Brown, the American League's leading goal scorer, had delivered when his team needed him most. The rout was completed when Auld received a short pass from George Moorehouse and netted the final tally, bringing the score to 6-2.
The one-sided final margin came as a surprise after the Canadiens' strong first 20 minutes, placing the United States ahead in the series with two victories against one defeat. More significantly, the match demonstrated that American soccer could mount successful international events on home soil—a necessary step if the USFA's vision of annual fixtures against European and South American powers was to be realized.
The comeback victory also showcased the resilience that would become characteristic of American international teams: outplayed for extended periods, relying on determination and fitness rather than technical superiority, but capable of explosive scoring runs when circumstances aligned. Brown's and Auld's braces, Florie's contribution and Marshall's thunderbolt from defense represented the kind of collective effort that gave American soccer credibility even as the sport struggled for attention in a nation captivated by baseball and football.
For the spectators who chose soccer over college football that November afternoon, they witnessed not just a convincing victory, but a glimpse of what American soccer might become with proper organization and international competition. In this sport, players earned their "caps" with pride and represented their nation on equal footing with the world's soccer powers.
On This Day in 1989, a Scoreless Draw Leaves World Cup Dreams Hanging by a Thread
The mathematics had seemed simple enough after that humid afternoon in Guatemala City. Beat El Salvador at home, then travel to Trinidad and Tobago, needing only a draw to end 39 years of World Cup exile. The United States had controlled possession against the Guatemalans on October 8, generated 16 shots, and walked away with a frustrating scoreless tie that left them one point behind Trinidad and Tobago in the qualifying standings.
On November 5, 1989, the Americans would face the same eliminated El Salvador side they had defeated 1-0 in Honduras seven weeks earlier. This time, the venue would be St. Louis Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri, where 8,500 fans would gather, expecting their team to dispatch a winless opponent and set up a winner-take-all finale in Port of Spain. Costa Rica had already clinched the region's first World Cup berth with 11 points. The second spot belonged to whoever could seize it from the wreckage of this qualifying campaign.
The pre-match atmosphere carried an undercurrent of unease. Rumors swirled that Trinidad and Tobago, possibly even Costa Rica, had offered financial incentives to the Salvadoran players—as much as $1,750 per player, according to U.S. midfielder Eric Eichmann—to put forth their best effort against the Americans. Coach Bob Gansler dismissed the speculation as good storytelling but acknowledged that such whispers surface before every consequential match. "We've still got to go out and take charge of our own destiny," he said.
More concerning than phantom bribes was the absence of Hugo Perez. The creative midfielder who had scored the winning goal against these same Salvadorans in September remained in France, nursing a torn groin muscle suffered while playing for his club team, Red Star. Alongside him on the sideline was Peter Vermes, battling chicken pox in the Netherlands. The Americans would have to break their 146-minute scoreless streak without their most dangerous attacking threat.
El Salvador arrived in markedly different circumstances than the pampered Americans. After a seven-hour layover in Houston, the Salvadorans landed late Saturday night and stuffed four players into each hotel room. "We don't have the money like the Americans," explained their coach, George Dojeinovski, who fielded nine players from Firpo, El Salvador's leading club team.
The first half unfolded with a familiar pattern: American dominance yielded no rewards. Playing with the wind at their backs, the United States outshot El Salvador 7-1 and earned seven corner kicks, yet repeatedly crashed against the rocks of Carlos Rivera's goalkeeping and their own imprecision. Bruce Murray generated several headers toward the goal, one saved brilliantly by Rivera, another sailing wide. Steve Trittschuh, pushing forward from his defensive position, twice tested Rivera with headers that found only the goalkeeper's hands. Tab Ramos whipped multiple corner kicks into the penalty area, searching for Trittschuh's runs from deep, but the final touch remained elusive.
The second half brought stiffening resistance as El Salvador absorbed the American pressure with disciplined defending and calculated time-wasting. Playing into the wind, the United States created fewer opportunities. Ramos fired wide early in the half. Gansler made desperate substitutions—Frank Klopas for Desmond Armstrong in the 57th minute, Jim Gabarra for Bliss in the 83rd—but neither injection altered the game's stubborn mathematics.
Even a late numerical advantage couldn't break the deadlock. Jose Gamez received a red card for kicking Klopas with two minutes remaining, but El Salvador's packed defensive shape held firm. The Salvadorans had already drawn a yellow card for deliberately kicking the ball into the stands, a transparent delaying tactic that nonetheless achieved its purpose.
When the final whistle confirmed the scoreless draw, captain Mike Windischmann raised his arms in desperation, a gesture mirrored by most of the 8,500 spectators who had arrived expecting celebration and departed in stunned silence. The Americans had now gone 208 minutes without finding the net. Their last goal belonged to the absent Perez, a memory from a different match, a different time when hope felt more substantial.
The single point left both teams tied at nine points, but Trinidad and Tobago held the crucial advantage in goal differential: plus-3 to the Americans' plus-2. The implications were absolute. A draw in Port of Spain would send Trinidad to their first World Cup on the tiebreaker. The United States would need to win or watch from home.
Murray's post-match assessment was brutally honest. "We were all trying to do our own thing instead of playing together. I gave my best effort, but if I was the coach, I would have pulled myself out. I played terrible—and I want to emphasize that." Trittschuh tried to find optimism in the defensive solidity—his unit had now posted three consecutive clean sheets—but acknowledged the obvious: "The defense is holding up its end of the bargain and the offense is creating chances. We're just unlucky finishing."
The Salvadorans, meanwhile, departed satisfied with their spoiler's role. Even Dojeinovski, whose makeshift squad had been outshot 12-5 and conceded 13 corner kicks, felt vindicated: "I don't think the Americans were flat. They played the way they can play, and El Salvador played the right way against them." Gansler maintained his measured composure, though the frustration seeped through: "Obviously, we did not create enough chances. As I have said before, it takes us a few more opportunities than some teams to score. So we have to keep creating."
On November 19, the United States would travel to Port of Spain for its appointment with destiny. No safety net. No margin for error. Win or spend another four years wondering what might have been. The path to Italy had narrowed to a single match, on hostile ground, against an opponent who could advance with a draw while the Americans needed nothing less than victory. Brian Bliss, the midfielder who had articulated the building momentum before this match, now faced the prospect of watching it all collapse. "If we don't qualify," he had said earlier in the week, "it will set soccer in this country back by five years."
On this gray November afternoon in suburban St. Louis, as 8,500 deflated fans filed toward the exits, American soccer's World Cup dreams survived—but barely. The scoreless draw had transformed a promising scenario into a desperate gamble. One match remained. One chance. One goal, finally, could be enough.
On This Day in 1996, Americans Launch World Cup Qualifying Campaign Against Grief-Stricken Guatemala
The two months between that August night at the Coliseum and the opening of qualifying had brought both clarity and complication to the U.S. national team's World Cup aspirations. Major League Soccer's inaugural season had concluded with unexpectedly strong play down the stretch, providing Steve Sampson with a deeper domestic talent pool than any American coach had ever enjoyed. Yet the buildup to qualifying had been marred by contentious contract negotiations that dragged into the final days before camp, with players and the U.S. Soccer Federation finally agreeing to terms that included $5,000 per qualifier and a million-dollar bonus pool if the team reached France.
Now, on a crisp November 3 afternoon in Washington, the real work began. Six matches in seven weeks would determine whether the Americans advanced from a four-team group that included Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala. Only the top two would proceed to the hexagonal final round in 1997, where three CONCACAF nations would claim their tickets to France '98. For a U.S. team that hadn't faced a World Cup qualifier in seven years—having earned automatic entry as hosts in 1994—the stakes were clear: prove that American soccer's progress was genuine, not circumstantial.
The opponent added unexpected emotional weight. Guatemala arrived in Washington carrying the grief of a nation. Just eighteen days earlier, eighty-four fans had been trampled to death in a stadium stampede at Mateo Flores Stadium in Guatemala City, victims of counterfeit ticket sales that had swelled the crowd beyond capacity. The scheduled qualifier against Costa Rica had been postponed, and now the Guatemalan players would make their first appearance since the tragedy, wearing black armbands and playing for something larger than three points.
"We have to be prepared for them to be highly motivated as a gesture to the Guatemalan people," Sampson acknowledged. "We don't take anything for granted."
The coach's lineup reflected MLS's growing influence on the national team program. 14 of his 18 players had spent the season in the domestic league, including Kansas City's Preki—the 33-year-old Yugoslav who had been sworn in as a U.S. citizen just days earlier and would make his debut. Kasey Keller, fresh off a clean sheet against Premier League leaders Newcastle for Leicester City, earned the starting goalkeeper position over Brad Friedel in what Sampson called "one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make." Absent was Marcelo Balboa, the acrobatic defender whose almost bicycle kick against Colombia had provided World Cup '94's most spectacular American moment; a chronic foot injury had kept him out of action for two months.
What nobody had anticipated was the atmosphere awaiting them at RFK Stadium. When the teams emerged for warmups, the sea of blue and white stopped Jeff Agoos mid-stride. Guatemalan flags filled nearly every section, waved by supporters who had traveled from across the East Coast, arriving as early as seven in the morning for the one o'clock kickoff. A marimba band played outside the main gates. Handwritten signs dotted the stands: "We Are Guatemala Plus 84. In Peace They Rest." Of the 30,082 in attendance, the overwhelming majority had come to cheer for the visitors. "I couldn't believe it," Agoos said afterward. "I looked around and saw all the flags, and I swear we were playing in Guatemala City."
The emotional energy translated immediately into physical intensity. Guatemala pressed forward with three attackers, a tactical wrinkle that caught Sampson by surprise—he had prepared for two forwards and given Eddie Pope permission to attend classes at North Carolina. The visitors generated dangerous chances, finding seams in an American defense that had suddenly lost its numerical advantage. Keller was forced into several sharp saves, none more critical than in the first half when Guatemala broke through only to see two players miss with the goalkeeper stranded.
For 55 minutes, the match remained scoreless despite Guatemala's purposeful attacks and the Americans' occasional forays forward. The breakthrough finally arrived through the partnership that had become the U.S. team's most reliable weapon. Claudio Reyna found space on the left flank and delivered a precision cross toward the penalty spot. Eric Wynalda met it with his left foot from eight yards, blasting the ball past goalkeeper Edgar Estrada for his 26th international goal—extending his own national team record.
The celebration told its own story. Wynalda sprinted toward the corner flag, desperately searching for American supporters to embrace. He found a pocket of them at the far end of the stadium, a small island in a sea of blue and white. The Guatemalan flags that had waved so furiously moments before now hung limp in disappointment. "I saw the Guatemalan flags dipped after my goal," Wynalda said, "and I raced around looking to greet the Americans I could find."
The lone goal might have been enough, but it wasn't comfortable. Guatemala continued to press, and the American defense continued to give ground. In the 79th minute, with legs growing heavy and anxiety rising, the visitors carved out another clear chance that Keller somehow kept out. Sampson paced the technical area, knowing his team needed insurance. It arrived in the 89th minute with a flourish of speed and precision. Wynalda collected the ball wide on the left and spotted Brian McBride making a diagonal run through the channel. The pass was perfectly weighted, the run perfectly timed. McBride outpaced his defender with authority and slotted the low cross into the far corner for his first international goal in his national team debut. The sigh of relief from the American bench was audible even over the crowd noise.
The final whistle brought a mix of satisfaction and concern. The 2-0 victory had delivered three crucial points and first place in Group 1, alongside Costa Rica, which had also won its opener. But the performance had exposed vulnerabilities that couldn't be ignored, with Trinidad and Tobago arriving in Richmond in just seven days. "We have to shore up our defense," Sampson admitted, the tactical surprise still fresh. "Guatemala got behind us on a number of occasions and could have scored a couple of goals. I'm not satisfied with our play at times. We have some things to iron out."
The crowd composition troubled him equally. From Sampson down to every player, the Americans were disappointed by the lack of support in their own capital. The coach floated the idea of canceling youth games in the area during future qualifiers to ensure local players and families could attend—a suggestion that highlighted how American soccer still struggled to command its home spaces, even in success.
Yet beneath the concerns lay undeniable progress. The Americans had navigated a charged emotional environment and an unexpected tactical challenge to claim victory. McBride's debut goal announced the arrival of another scoring option. Wynalda's continued reliability—his 26th goal came in his 75th appearance—provided the steady threat every qualifying campaign requires. Most importantly, the team had responded to pressure with composure, adding a second goal when one might have been enough, and Guatemala was pushing hardest.
As the players boarded buses for the short trip to Richmond, the marathon continued. Six matches in seven weeks. Trinidad and Tobago twice, Costa Rica twice, and Guatemala again in three weeks. The road to France would wind through hostile venues and hostile crowds, through altitude and heat, through the grinding attrition of CONCACAF qualifying. But on this November afternoon in Washington, playing before a crowd that felt like an away match, the Americans had taken the first necessary step. France '98 was still 14 months and countless obstacles away. For now, three points and first place would suffice.
On This Day in 1997, Shorthanded and Down a Man, Mission of Survival in the Azteca for the Americans
The path to France had become a tightrope stretched over an abyss. Now came the fall that everyone expected.
Tab Ramos had called it weeks earlier, with the matter-of-fact certainty of a man reading tomorrow's weather: "That game in Mexico City, when you look at all the games, you write that one down as a loss." Steve Sampson had nodded along, conceding he didn't expect a result at Estadio Azteca. The mathematics were simple and cruel—Mexico needed just one point from three matches to qualify. The Americans would arrive hobbled, depleted and facing a fortress where they had lost 17 consecutive times since 1937, outscored 69-13 across six decades of humiliation.
But Sampson had also prepared. For 16 days at Big Bear Lake, California, 6,800 feet above sea level, the Americans trained in thin air, preparing their lungs for the punishing altitude of Mexico City, which stands at 7,350 feet. When they arrived on Friday, Bora Milutinovic—the Serbian coach who had led the United States at the 1994 World Cup and now commanded Mexico—peered through his hotel window at the yellow smog blanketing the city and grinned. "It's good!" he said, squinting as fumes stung his eyes. "And I hope Sunday, it will be better for us."
By "better," he meant smoggier.
The Americans would face Mexico without four starters. Kasey Keller sat out with a broken thumb. Earnie Stewart's calf injury kept him from playing. Ramos's torn knee ligament—the same one surgically repaired the previous November—would require another operation, ending his qualifying campaign. And Claudio Reyna, the team's midfield orchestrator, served a suspension for accumulated yellow cards, a direct consequence of the Jamaica match where American arrogance had been replaced by American desperation.
Brad Friedel would start in goal. Roy Wegerle would operate alone up front. Eric Wynalda, typically a forward, shifted back to midfield in a defensive 4-5-1 formation that signaled Sampson's intentions from the opening whistle: survive, absorb, don't break. On November 2, 114,600 Mexican supporters packed into Estadio Guillermo Cañedo—a sea of green, white, and red, blaring horns and waving flags. The Americans were greeted with deafening boos. This was Mexico's temple, and the visitors had come to be sacrificed.
For thirty minutes, the match unfolded without one team dominating. Both sides created chances. The Americans defended deep but remained dangerous on the counter. In the 14th minute, Wynalda unleashed a shot from outside the penalty area that Jorge Campos, Mexico's flamboyant goalkeeper, could only parry into the path of Marcelo Balboa, who fired wide left. Then came the moment that should have sealed America's fate.
In the 32nd minute, Jeff Agoos and Pavel Pardo jostled for position at midfield. Pardo clipped Agoos from behind. Agoos raised his elbows to protect himself. Referee Javier Alberto Castrilli—known worldwide as "The Sheriff" for his quick trigger on cards—produced a red without hesitation. Agoos was gone. The Americans would play the final 58 minutes with 10 men.
It was Agoos's second disaster in as many matches. Against Jamaica, his careless pass had gifted the Reggae Boyz their equalizer. Now he was expelled, forced to watch his teammates fight a losing battle he had made immeasurably harder. "I had my back to the goal and I played the ball to Eric," Agoos explained afterward, still stunned. "Someone clipped me on the back of the leg. I put my elbows up to protect myself. Next thing I know, I got a red card. I'm shocked I got it."
Sampson reorganized immediately, shifting to a formation without a striker. John Harkes dropped from deep midfield into Agoos's role. Wegerle moved back from forward to midfield. The Americans would not attack. They would not press. They would hold the line and pray. One minute later, Thomas Dooley nearly pulled off a miracle. His 22-yard shot beat Campos cleanly, but struck the right post and bounced away. It was the closest either team would come to scoring.
The second half became a siege. Mexico poured forward, wave after wave crashing against America's defensive wall. Friedel saved shot after shot. Eddie Pope, Balboa, and Alexi Lalas blocked everything that got past him. In the 50th minute, Luis Garcia's header off a corner kick cleared the crossbar by inches. Milutinovic inserted a fourth forward at halftime, desperate to break through. Mexico attacked. The Americans absorbed. The crowd roared with each Mexican advance—and then, gradually, the roar changed.
With 21 minutes remaining, something extraordinary happened. The Mexican fans, disgusted by their team's inability to finish, began whistling derisively at their own players. They applauded American clearances. They chanted in unison: "Fuera, Bora!"—Get Out, Bora. "Ole! Ole! Ole!" they shouted—many with Mexico's colors painted on their faces—as the Americans swiped balls and blocked shots. Joe-Max Moore, battling fatigue at midfield, could barely believe it. "It was a great feeling," he said later. "When 120,000 fans switch and start cheering you on, well, that doesn't happen very often in your career."
The final whistle brought boos for Mexico and euphoria for the Americans. They had broken a 60-year losing streak in Mexico City. They had survived with 10 men for nearly an hour. They had turned Estadio Azteca into a monument to defensive resilience. "Americans dream about what is possible, not impossible," Sampson told reporters, beaming. "The players just believed they could do something special, and they proved it. We consider this a golden point."
The result clinched Mexico's World Cup berth—the 22nd nation to qualify for France. But Mexico's fans left the stadium muttering about corruption and national offense, their qualification feeling more like humiliation. Milutinovic faced a media assault that included accusations of match-fixing. "Our culture right now is very negative," he said defensively. "I know the people are very upset, but we have qualified." His job was suddenly in jeopardy.
For the Americans, the golden point meant survival. They improved to 2-5-1 (WDL) with 11 points, sitting in third place, two points ahead of El Salvador. The mathematics had shifted decisively: one victory or two draws from their final two matches would send them to France. But the complications remained. Agoos would miss the Canada match due to his red card. John Harkes, who received a yellow card in the 17th minute, would also be suspended. And Ramos's knee would require surgery, ending any hope of his return. Sampson announced that if video review confirmed Agoos had connected with an elbow, he would fine him $1,000 for unnecessary conduct.
The Americans would travel to Vancouver on November 9 to face last-place Canada, a team with just four points and no realistic chance of qualifying. A victory would almost certainly seal America's World Cup berth—especially if El Salvador failed to beat Jamaica. If not, everything would come down to November 16 at Foxboro Stadium, where El Salvador would arrive desperate and dangerous.
The path to France remained a tightrope. But the Americans had refused to fall. They had survived the Azteca with ten men, earning the respect of 114,600 Mexican fans who had arrived expecting a coronation and left chanting for their own coach's head. Sampson had written the match down as a loss. Instead, his team had delivered something far more valuable: belief that the impossible might still be possible. Seven days remained until Canada. Seven days until the Americans could finish what they had started in that suffocating Mexico City air, where even the smog had failed to choke their resolve.
