The United States men's national soccer team played its first international matches against Canada in 1885 and 1886; however, neither match is considered official. It would be another 30 years before the US would finally play an officially recognized international match.

In the inaugural World Cup in 1930, the US team advanced to the semifinals, still the all-time best World Cup performance by the men's team. Numerous soccer historians have claimed that the US team at that competition was loaded with "ringers" from British professional leagues. There were six British-born professional soccer players on the US team; however:

• At the time of the 1930 World Cup, the combined British professional experience of those six players was two games, both by a single player in the English Third Division (equivalent to today's Football League One).
• Four of the six had come to the United States as teenagers or younger.
• Three of the six never played professionally in Britain; their pro careers were entirely in North America. In the 1920s, there was a thriving professional league in the United States, and the league survived into the mid-1930s.
• Two of the six did have significant professional careers in Britain, but not until after 1930.
• All 16 members of the 1930 World Cup team, including the six British-born players, were living in the United States by 1928.

In the 1950 World Cup, the US team pulled off one of the greatest upsets in soccer history, defeating England 1-0. However, the US failed to advance from group play, and would not qualify for another World Cup until 1990. Although they were dismissed from that tourney without making a point, the side rebounded to win the first ever CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1991.

The USA's best performances at recent World Cups have been a second-round appearance in 1994, when it hosted the event, and a quarterfinal berth in 2002. They were one of the major surprises at the 2002 event, stunning highly fancied Portugal in group play, defeating continental rivals Mexico in the second round, and narrowly losing to eventual runner-up Germany in the quarterfinals.

For about a decade before the 2002 World Cup, the US men's team was largely in the shadow of the country's high-profile women's team. While the US men have not totally escaped the women's shadow, they are now receiving more attention from soccer fans at home. The US men are now a highly competitive side, capable of playing with and occasionally defeating top teams from the rest of the world. In recent years, the US has become known for producing goalkeepers; three US keepers started in the English Premier League in the 2003-04 season.

Since its recent successes, the USA has been consistently ranked in the top 15 of the FIFA World Rankings; its highest-ever rank was 7th, in July 2004.

World Cup record

• 1930 - Semifinals
• 1934 - Round 1
• 1938 - Withdrew
• 1950 - Round 1
• 1954 to 1986 - Did not qualify
• 1990 - Round 1
• 1994 - Round 2
• 1998 - Round 1
• 2002 - Quarterfinals

Gold Cup record

• 1991 - Champions
• 1993 - Second place
• 1996 - Third place
• 1998 - Second place
• 2000 - Quarterfinals
• 2002 - Champions
• 2003 - Third place

Copa América record

• 1916 to 1991 - Did not enter
• 1993 - Round 1
• 1995 - Fourth place
• 1997 to 2004 - Did not enter

Selected famous players

• Freddy Adu (has not played for the national team but still worth mentioning)
• Chris Armas
• DaMarcus Beasley
• Landon Donovan
• Tim Howard
• Cobi Jones
• Kasey Keller
• Clint Mathis
• Brian McBride
• John O'Brien
• Eddie Pope
• Claudio Reyna

Former players

• Jeff Agoos
• Marcelo Balboa
• Paul Caligiuri
• Rick Davis
• Thomas Dooley
• Brad Friedel
• Joe Gaetjens
• John Harkes
• Alexi Lalas
• Tony Meola
• Joe-Max Moore
• Tab Ramos
• Eric Wynalda
• Earnie Stewart

External links

• Archive of US national team results 1885-1979
• Archive of US national team results 1980-