"As a coach, sometimes we see potential and we say, 'Okay, but I'm not quite sure he's ready yet,' " Donovan said. Putting together the right team for a World Cup is always a risky proposition and unique balancing act. For any kid to play for their country in a World Cup, it's the ultimate dream." "I made the World Cup team!" Donovan remembered telling his mom. "He said, 'Happy to let you know that you've made the World Cup team,' " Donovan said. Several weeks later, Donovan got a phone call from Arena. He also converted the first penalty kick in the semifinal shootout win against Canada. goal in the 35th minute of its opener in a 2-1 win against Korea Republic. Not only did Donovan start all five Gold Cup matches he also excelled. I was probably the most motivated I've been in my career." "I knew going into that January camp that I had to be really good. "I didn't know where I was on the pecking order," he said. He had played in a handful of qualifiers, including drawing the game-winning penalty kick late in the Jamaica match. He was healthy, but inexperienced internationally (one goal in eight appearances since making his debut in 2000). It definitely gave me the confidence I needed."ĭonovan faced another dilemma. "Everything was really positive on my end. "The team performed extremely well," McBride said. The goal haul earned him tournament MVP honors and the USMNT won the confederation championship for only the second time. McBride (pictured above) finished as the tournament's leading scorer with four goals – tallying a penalty in a group stage win against Cuba before recording an impressive 12-minute hat trick during the first half of a 4-0 quarterfinal win against El Salvador. "I was just so elated that we qualified," he said. While sitting on his couch with his wife, McBride watched the USA clinch a World Cup berth with its 2-1 victory against Jamaica on Oct. Two phone calls helped determine each players' World Cup fates. Despite his great potential, was the 19-year-old midfielder too young to make the team? Teenager Landon Donovan had played in a handful of qualifiers. Men's National Team who went on to make vital contributions at the FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan that summer were uncertain whether they would even be part of the squad.įorward Brian McBride was recuperating from a blood clot that kept him sidelined for most of the previous year. In Part 2, Landon Donovan, Brian McBride, Earnie Stewart, Claudio Reyna, Brad Friedel, Eddie Pope and Gregg Berhalter reminisce about the team’s incredible run to the 2002 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. In Part 1, we retraced the team’s dramatic run to qualify for Korea/Japan. To celebrate the 20 th anniversary of the USMNT’s memorable run to the quarterfinals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, presents a two-part series looking back on the team’s best modern era World Cup finish.
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