Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
While they may not be the best team to have ever played the game, the United States soccer team has been around for many years and has offered a history of great players who have graced the pitch, bringing elation and joy to many across the globe. The US was a part of the first 1930 FIFA World Cup, and has taken part in 10 World Cup tournaments since, with the most recent being the 2022 event in Qatar. The next World Cup tournament is set to take place in 2026, hosted jointly by Mexico, Canada and America.
There have been many memorable moments delivered by a host of players through the years. They have been central in some spectacular victories for the national team and club teams across the world. The current generation of US players is hoping to build on the success of the previous generation, and there look to be some outstanding examples of how to play the beautiful game.
With a combination of international brilliance, club success, memorable moments and some of the best football odds available, here are some of the greatest US players to grace the field.
International Caps: 157, Career Goals Club/Country: 265
There aren't many people who would argue that Landon Donovan is perhaps the greatest American male soccer player of all time. If there was an attribute that you would want to see in a player, he possessed it, enjoying club success, longevity and iconic national team moments.
Donovan played his first international game in the 2002 World Cup. During this tournament, he earned the best young player award, made even greater with the US's historic quarter-final run. Throughout his career, he mostly played for LA Galaxy but had a few loan moves to Everton in 2010 and again in 2012. In the dying seconds of the US game against Algeria, Donovan scored to create one of the most iconic moments in American soccer history.
Landon's playing career seemed to come to an abrupt end when Jürgen Klinsmann controversially refrained from selecting him in the 2014 World Cup. We have surely not seen the last of him, though, as he looks to be rising through the ranks as a coach, being very much still connected to the world of soccer.
International Caps: 141, Career Goals: 212
Clint Dempsey is a controversial figure in the soccer community. He has led to some memorable moments within the game on and off the field, but there is no taking away from his natural ability.
Not the most consistent player, Dempsey was someone who would often disappear at international and club levels. To be most effective, he would often have to fit a system imposed by the team. However, when he was at his best, he was unpayable, with a natural ability to carve open defenses and rise to the occasion when his team needed him the most.
In 2010, Dempsey scored one of his most stunning goals against Juventus in the Europa League, creating one of the greatest upsets in the history of the tournament, perfectly summarizing the kind of career he had. On the international stage, Dempsey holds the fifth fastest goal ever to be scored at a World Cup, with the opener against Ghana in 2014. With 50 top-flight goals for Fulham, he remains their all-time top scorer.
Clint Dempsey is now a member of Fox's soccer analysis team. Once someone who was known for his solitude and reclusive nature, he seems to have stripped away the hard outer shell and brought his natural swagger to the world of broadcasting. The US fans love him much more now, compared with his personality when he was on the pitch.
International Caps: 121, Career Goals: 1
Although somewhat controversial, Tim Howard is potentially the best-ever goalkeeper to come from the US. He has had a lengthy career and even managed to score a goal in the Premier League, one of the very few keepers to do so! Taking things back to the beginning, Howard started his career in the MLS at the now-defunct MetroStars. After his stint there, he made a sensational move to English giants Manchester United. During his time at United, Howard made 45 appearances before making a transfer to Merseyside team Everton, where he resided for 10 years, amassing 329 appearances.
Tim Howard also had an interesting international career, growing into a true leader during the USMNT and appearing in two World Cups. In Howard's debut World Cup match against England, he helped his team fight out a 1-1 draw, and later in that very same tournament, combined with Landon Donovan to get the game-winning goal against Algeria. The next World Cup four years later saw Howard play one of the most iconic performances ever seen in a US shirt, setting the record for most World Cup saves in a single match with a total of 16.
Saving goals wasn't the only iconic moment that Howard had during his career. All Everton fans will love the memory of the 100-yard goal he scored against Bolton Wanderers, no matter if it was intentional or not. It goes down as one of the most memorable goalkeeper moments in Premier League history. The clearance was taken by the wind and the bounce was misjudged by the opposing keeper. A brilliant goal, but one that Howard did not celebrate. He later spoke on the goal, saying, "It was cruel. You saw the back fours and the keepers not being able to believe balls all night, and at the back, one wrong step and it can be a nightmare. For our goal, I was disappointed from a goalkeeper's union standpoint. You never want to see that happen.†Howard's humble and empathic comment encapsulates his love for the game, the players and goalkeeping in general.
International Caps: 57, Career Goals: 82
At just 24 years old, Christian Pulisic is the youngest player on our list and the only one to still be playing. Already, Pulisic is looking to be one of the top players ever produced by the US, and even so early into his career, he has created some outstanding moments. Sadly, Pulisic's most memorable recent moment is also one of the USA's biggest failures: The infamous miss in 2018 that prevented the USA from qualifying for the World Cup in Russia.
Pulisic is already the leading American Champions League goalscorer and played a pivotal part in Chelsea's win over Real Madrid, providing an assist and also scoring himself. He is currently the only American player to play in a Champions League final and, of course, lift the trophy.
Pulisic is still in the early years of his career, but he is already shaping up to be one of the greatest American players to ever touch a soccer ball.
My daughter's first ever football match - Orlando City v Atlanta United, August 2019. Written for Izzy to read when she gets old enough. Vamos Orlando
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