In the last blog we talked about the last time the USA played in Canada. The day was Nov. 9, 1997
and it was the game where the USA clinched qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Roy Wegerle
scored twice and new Hall of Famer Claudio Reyna added another as the MNT booked its spot for the
tournament in France.
In one of the biggest upsets in the history of the U.S. Men's National Team, the USA beat Brazil
1-0 on Feb. 11, 1998, in the semifinal of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. That game was the first U.S. win
against the South American side, and today it remains the only time in 16 matches the U.S. has
emerged victorious.
While players are now reporting to their European clubs' preseason training camps, we're all still
following the movement of American players between various clubs. This got me thinking that after
20 years of following the fortunes of US players in Europe (9 of them as a reporter), its hard not
to notice the evolution of the American presence in the European game.
With the 2012 season 4 days away for Sporting KC, I thought I'd take a look back at past year's
season openers for the club. Some of the earlier matches are blurred together in a mix of games
from before my college years but I'll add comments where I can.
1996 - KC Wiz vs Colorado Rapids 3-0
The inaugural game for the team saw the Wiz pull off the shutout win over the Rapids.
Clint Dempsey celebrates scoring against Egypt on Father's Day in 2009.
Today's game against Jamaica at RFK Stadium marks the eighth time the U.S. Men's National Team has
taken the field on Father's Day. Overall the U.S. has a 4-2-1 record on the third Sunday in June,
including matches in the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup and World Cup qualifying.
When soccer experts remember the United States beating England, they almost always refer back to
the 1950 World Cup when Joe Gaetjens got only the goal in the match to cause the biggest upset in
the history of the tournament when the States won 1-0 in Brazil.
But there was another day that many England fans try to forget.
The first part of this USA World Cup history covered USA's1930 to 1950, including the third
place finish and the famous win over England in 1950. But it would be 40 years before the USA
qualified for another World Cup. They made it to Italia '90 partly thanks to Mexico being
disqualified (for fielding overage players in Olympic qualifying) but very much thanks to this goal
from Paul Caliguiri vs Trinidad & Tobago:
Also file under: Some journalists knew, but couldn't write the whole story of the
notoriousFranceflop at World Cup 1998
Twelve years later, we're still sorting through l'affaire John Harkes and how things got all
twisted up and then unraveled so spectacularly on that 1998 World Cup team.
Here's how the voting has gone for the National Soccer Hall of Fame for the last seven years
(all I have are the top tens - my man Jack Huckel, late of the Hall, may have the
complete lists, but whether he'll ever share them, I don't know). Those players who were elected
are in bold.
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- On This Day in 1989: Roy Wegerle Joins QPR in a club-record signing
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off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general.
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- Twenty Years Ago Today: Roy Wegerle's Goal at Leeds
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always-improving!)QPR Report Messageboard/quasi-blog . All QPR and football
perspective welcome. Or simply feel free to read the football-only updates and discussions.
Steve Cherundolo celebrates with the RFK faithful on Oct. 14, 2009.
The U.S. Men will be playing their 21st game at RFK Stadium on Sunday, the most of any venue other
than the Los Angeles Coliseum which has also hosted the MNT 21 times. The U.S. history there dates
to 1977, and the most recent appearance was a 2-2 tie with Costa Rica on Oct.
It's Friday and it is time to start a new series, which is more like the old series.
Every Friday, I will touch on some of the week's popular subjects being discussed by readers, as
well astouch on news stories SBI may have missed. We've called these types of posts Musings and
TGIF before, but now we'll be going with Friday Free Kicks and plan to make it a weekly series.
Giuseppe Rossi is a soccer player of (seemingly) quite exceptional ability. His
two goals led Italy to a 3-1 win over the US in the first group match of the FIFA Confederations
Cup on Monday and have led to the 22-year-old from Teaneck, New Jersey being branded a "traitor" by
many US fans.
Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers are certainly not strangers to the Premiership, but they
have been an eternity in the wilderness as far as their fans will be concerned. They both have very
famous top flight games which are associated with the club with QPR turning over Manchester United
in a New Years Day game back in 1992, and Norwich defeating Bayern Munich in Europe in 1993.
Dempsey, 27, says he's playing the best soccer of his career these days, and he has 11 games left
to surpass McBride's goal mark for Yanks in a Premier League season. It seems like only a matter of
time before Dempsey passes Roy Wegerle for all-time goals by an American in England. Dempsey has
34; Wegerle had 53.
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- Play "Spot The Ball" - #3
QPR 1929-1930
- Throughout the day, updates, comments and perspectives re QPR and football in general are
posted and discussed on the QPR Report Messageboard...Also Follow: QPR
REPORT ON TWITTER
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- On This Day in Football: March 2.
- Also available: The combined messageboard and QPRnews quasi-blog QPR Report
Messageboard! Check Back throughout the day for comprehensive QPR-related news snippets. All QPR
Perspectives genuinely Welcomed
- Administrators Ban Crystal Palce's Victor Moses From Playing: Too Valuable an asset
- Football Support for Haiti
No Zimbabwean to Loftus Road: QPR Won't be signing Bhasera
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football: Visit the combination messageboard/quasi-blog QPR Report Messageboard. All perspectives
genuinely welcomed!
- Part QPR owner, Bernie Ecclestone Q&A. Ecclestone's View of Hitler
[Ecclestone re QPR ".
- On July 4, Taking note of the QPR/USA Connection
Besides a considerable number of QPR fans who live throughout the United States, there are a
limited QPR-USA connection. Unfortunately on the playing side, only a couple of US players played
for QPR: Juergen Sommer and Roy Wegerle.
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Messageboard. If your interest is constantly-updated QPR-related news; QPR nostalgia; and items on
some other broader football-related isssues: QPR Report Messageboard is one such site.
Many nations have provided English football with players and the United States is no different.
From Roy Wegerle to Brad Guzan, there has been a steady flow of Americans plying their trade across
the pond, with goalkeepers being a regular export.
Juergen Sommer became the first American stopper to play in the Premier League when he signed
for Queens Park Rangers in 1995 after serving a lengthy apprenticeship in the lower leagues.
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Joe Dunbar joins up with Mick Harford and Warren Neil at Luton
[Flashback almost 20 years to Luton's March 1989 game against QPR. In the Luton forward line: Mick
Harford, Roy Wegerle and Ian Dowie (coming on as sub). And in the Luton defense: Tim Breacker.]
Dunstable Today - Fitness coach brought on board
Joe Dunbar added to Mick Harford's staff
Town boss Mick Harford has complemented to his coaching team with the addition of Joe Dunbar as
performance manager.
Welcome to tonight's In-Game Blog for the match between the U.S. Men's National Team and Canada.
We'll have all the information on this international friendly for the USA, including lineups,
pre-game facts and in-game notes from Toronto.
Today Colorado made it official and hired Oscar Pareja as the team's 7th head coach. The Rapids say
6th but I like to count Roy Wegerle's 1 game as player/manager at the end of the 1996 season. ;)
There's been no details as to the amount or length of his contract other than "long" according to
Tim Hinchey at the press conference.
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- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates,
comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and
off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general....Also Follow:
QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
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- One Year ago: Briatore Speaks about "Dreaming" about Lippi as QPR Manager.
From December 16, 1967: Newly promoted, table-topping QPR....QPR versus
Portsmouth
[QPR beat Portsmouth 2-0 - Ian Morgan (goal shown) and Captain Mike Keen . 20,000+ to see the game.
(in the days before there was a South Africa Road Stand]
Springett - Clement Hazell Keetch Harris - I Morgan Keen Sanderson R Morgan
Wilks Marsh.
- FourFourTwo - Web Q&A WitH Les Ferdinand Who's the best player you've played with?
Ashley Adams, Greenwich
Paul Gascoigne was exceptional, as was David Ginola. Roy Wegerle was also a fantastic
player. When I was at QPR, he scored a goal against Leeds that won Goal of the Season.
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Over the years, QPR's #1 Rivals have been Chelsea (although Chelsea's #1 Rivals has not usally been
QPR.) For the first three quarters of the twentieth century, s, Chelsea were clearly the "top
dog" although it was not until 1968/1969 that the two clubs first met in a league game (QPR
losing 0-4 to Chelsea at Loftus Road).
