High profile transfers and the rise of the MLS suggest the USMNT can become a force in international football
Historically speaking, association football is not an American sport. The beautiful game has always lived in the shadows of basketball, baseball and American football, to name a few.
But could that be about to change? As the game’s popularity rises in the US and a new generation of players emerge, the men’s national team (USMNT) are threatening to join football’s elite.
Many Americans have played at the highest level since the country hosted the World Cup in 1994. The likes of Brad Friedel, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard have forged fruitful careers in the Premier League and the women’s team have become the most successful side in history, winning four World Cups.
But the USMNT are yet to flourish at that level, bar their third-place finish in 1930. Their best effort since was a quarter-final appearance in 2002, losing to Germany. And they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, missing out for the first time in more than 30 years. Continue reading