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Footballguy
cI had an idea for a separate USMNT thread apart from the massive soccer thread as I don't have as much of a taste for club soccer and it seems like the USMNT is at a point here where people want to actively discuss their future. From newlyretired:
#ibelieveThe new 4 year international cycle starts in September.
For the friendly or qualifier games, the coach can change the team as he likes
For the tournaments, a set roster must be submitted to last the tournament.
Here is a rough sketch of the cycle
Friendlies - These will be played through out the 4 year cycle
2015 Gold Cup - Concacaf regional championship
2016 Copa America - Combo South and North America tournament
2016-2017 World Cup Qualifying, typically two full rounds for US
2017 Gold Cup - Concacaf regional championship
2017 Confed Cup - Winners of all regional championships*
2018 WC
* US has not qualified for this yet.
Last cycle the US played 70 games over the 4 years.
Steve Tasker said:On 7/14/2014 at 8:07 PM, Steve Tasker said:
I've been meaning to put this together for some time. For our newer US soccer fans, here is a little primer of things to know about the history of your team and some of the background of international soccer. Just some notes and tidbits to know as you get into the swing of things. I know most of this is common sense, but just in case it isn't, here's a little bit of a read for you. Maybe people can add to this and we can pin it in post #1.
- the US is often referred to as the "USMNT": "US Men's National Team". A common nickname is "The Yanks". The team is currently coached by ex-German star Jurgen Klinsmann, and is governed by the US Soccer Federation, or USSF.
- FIFA - the soccer world's governing body - breaks the soccer world down into six regional "confederations". The US plays in CONCACAF - the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football. There are currently 41 teams in CONCACAF - the 3 North American teams, 7 Central American teams, and 31 Caribbean teams.
- CONCACAF World Cup qualification (WCQ) consists of 4 rounds (subject to change every 4 years). The USMNT gets a bye until the 3rd round. During 2015, the teams ranked 7th through 41st will play in the first two rounds, whittling down to 6 teams. Those 6 teams, plus the top 6 teams with byes, will combine for the 3rd round. The 3rd round consists of 3 round-robin groups of 4 teams. This will begin during the summer of 2016. The top 2 teams in each group advance to the final round of qualifying, commonly called "The Hex". The Hex is a 6-team round-robin and will run from approx. Feb 2017 through October 2017. At the end of the 10 games, the top 3 teams qualify automatically for the World Cup. The 4th place team qualifies for a playoff game. The bottom 2 teams are eliminated.
- Each confederation also has its own regional tournament for international teams. CONCACAF's tournament is called the Gold Cup, and is played in each odd year. The Gold Cup in the year immediately following the World Cup is often considered more important, as the winner qualifies for the next Confederations Cup (a smaller-scale World Cup style competition). The Gold Cup in the year immediately preceding a World Cup is generally much less regarded.
- Generally, the top CONCACAF teams in recent years have consisted of the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and Panama. The USMNT's traditional rival is Mexico, as the two have been the "big boys" of CONCACAF since the mid/late 90s.
- "Dos a Cero" is a famous phrase and chant among USMNT fans. It refers to a string of 2-0 victories over Mexico over the past 20 years. Some famous "dos a cero" US wins over Mexico: WCQ in Columbus, Ohio 2001; World Cup Round of 16, Korea, 2002; WCQ in Columbus, Ohio 2009; WCQ in Columbus, Ohio 2013
- The USMNT finished in 3rd place in the first World Cup (1930). This is the team's best ever result.
- In 1950, the USMNT famously upset England in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. England was widely considered a favorite and were arguably the best team in the world at the time. The US won 1-0 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, off a diving header scored by a Haitian immigrant, Joe Gaetjens. It was the USMNT's only win, and they did not make it out of the first round.
- The US did not qualify for any World Cups between 1950 and 1990.
- The "shot heard around the world", in US soccer parlance, refers to a goal scored by Paul Caligiuri in 1989 as part of the 1990 World Cup qualifiers. CONCACAF had only 2 World Cup spots at the time, and Mexico had been disqualified due to fielding overaged players in the 1988 Olympic qualifiers. Heading into the final game on November 19, 1989, the USMNT was 1 point behind Trinidad and Tobago, and had to face T&T in Port of Spain. Paul Caligiuri scored a
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