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Where Would The USA Be Without. . . Argentina?
Allen Ramsey investigates the influence of the Albiceleste on the Stars and Stripes.
Mar 11, 2010 3:21:00 AM
By Allen Ramsey
As part of Goal.com’s exclusive coverage in the lead-up to the 2010 World Cup, we introduce a new series, “Where Would The USA Be Without...?”, exploring the influence of various countries and immigrant populations on US soccer.
Today, we cover Argentina.
There was a boom in soccer in the USA that was spearheaded by the 1994 World Cup. It was the crowning moment of the USA’s bid to become a viable part of the world’s largest sporting community. For the first time, world’s best players would be on American soil, competing against each other for the biggest prize in the game. Many anticipated a headlining act by the great player, Diego Maradona, and his Argentina team.
Coming off of back-to-back appearances in the World Cup final, including winning the title of World Champions in 1986, Maradona was unquestionably the biggest name in the sport and with him running the show, Argentina were still viable contenders for the crown.
It was not to be. After only playing two games and scoring a single goal against Greece, Maradona was sent home from the Cup after failing a drug test, and the Argentines have not made it past the quarterfinal round since his departure.
Despite leaving the USA 1994 tournament in disgrace, Maradona’s impact was felt on American soil the same way it was in so many other countries around the world. Maradona was one of the first soccer stars to regularly feature in highlight videos of great goals sold in soccer stores all over the United States. His beautiful, free-flowing style and his ability to break down an opposing defense with the ball at his feat sparked a soccer revolution in the youth of America who grew up watching his genius unfold on televisions, even if they never had the chance to see it in person.
One of the players who has admitted trying to model his game after Maradona on a number of occasions (including in the Goal.com video from February of last year) was Clint Dempsey, arguably the most creative player on the current US roster. Though the USA has never been able to match Argentina’s genius in full, the game in this country has progressed due to the effects of Maradona and the creative brand of soccer the Argentines displayed in the years before America’s soccer boom.
Coaches
Only one Argentine coach has taken charge of a team in Major League Soccer, the top-flight league in the USA, but the record of Carlos Cordoba with the Miami Fusion in 1998 was not impressive. The former Boca Juniors player was replaced. The Fusion club itself folded in 2001.
Still, other Argentine coaches were influential because of their success. As American coaches looked to improve, they often took inspiration from Argentina's greatest coaches.
For example, Carlos Bilardo’s impact on Argentine soccer runs deep. Call it tactical wizardry or call it the luck of having one of the most naturally gifted sides in the history of the spot, but whichever way, under Bilardo, Argentina reached staggering heights.
After taking over La Albiceleste in 1983 Bilardo led the charge from the sidelines as Argentina won the 1986 World Cup and fell just short of repeating the feat in 1990. As with many coaches his legacy can be judged not only by the amount of matches he won, but by the amount of future managers who played under him.
Jorge Luis Burruchaga, Sergio Batista, Miguel Angel Ruso, Nery Pumpido, Jose Luis Brown, and of course, current Argentina boss Maradona, all went on to coach professionally with varying levels of success.
Players
The Argentine influence has directly touched some of the USA's top players. Claudio Reyna's father was Argentine, and it was he who guided the midfielder into the game at an an early age, helping mentor the skills that would earn Reyna a long European club career and a distinguished run as Captain America for the national squad.
Veteran USA defender Pablo Mastroeni was actually born in Argentina, but moved to the United States before he turned five. A current promising young player is also of Argentine parentage - Sebastien Lletget.
While the impact of former and current Argentine stars on the minds of American youth may be hard to judge, a wave of Argentine players has also made a direct impact on the game in MLS. Nearly fifty players from that country have suited up for clubs around the league.
In 2007, Guillermo Barros Schelotto became a household name for fans of the league, notching 11 assists and 5 goals in 22 matches, but it was in 2008 that the former Boca Juniors star took the league by storm. With 19 assists and 7 goals in the regular season, the ten-cap winner was an easy choice for the league's Most Valuable Player award. In the MLS Cup final that same year, Schelotto notched three assists to lead the Crew to the MLS title.
But Schelotto is far from the only Argentine to make an impact in MLS. Another Argentine, Christian Gomez, won the MVP award in 2006. Former Argentine national team star Claudio Lopez made his way stateside in 2008, though he never had the same impact in Kansas City that Schelotto had in Columbus. Midfielder Javier Morales has become a star in Salt Lake, and Gino Padula has been a steady contributor for Columbus during their recent successes.
The list goes on, but the end result has been a steady increase in the quality of play throughout the league, and there is no question that Argentines have played a big part in helping to raise the quality on the pitch.
Memorable Matches
The US has a long history of squaring off with Argentina that dates all the way back to the semifinals of the 1930 World Cup - the very first tournament - where the South Americans throttled the USA 6-1.
The USA would get a bit of revenge in the 1995 Copa America with a 3-0 thrashing of Argentina in the group stage en route to a fourth-placed finish in the competition.
However, a dozen years later, Argentina dispatched the USA easily with a 4-1 thrashing even after the Americans got on the board first in Copa America's group play.
The most recent encounter between the two sides took place at Giants stadium in 2008. Despite being a friendly, it was a hotly contested match that ended with the two sides level with no goals to show.
Today
For the first time since Maradona retired, Argentina again boast arguably the best player in the world with Lionel Messi. Like Maradona, Messi’s style has taken the youth of America by storm. Messi's visits to the USA with his club team, Barcelona, are sold out as soccer-loving young players clamor for a glimpse of the star whose moves they check out on YouTube on a regular basis. Once again, hopefuls across the country are trying to imitate the style of Argentina’s little maestro.
Yet with Maradona at the helm, questions are plentiful about the future of the Argentine national side. A rougher-than-usual qualifying run for the 2010 World Cup had fans worldwide calling for Maradona’s job, and his antics at times had people calling for his head. But just last week La Albiceleste waltzed into Germany and came out with a result against one of the toughest teams in the world.
The attacking talent in the squad is still almost unparalleled and Argentina at their finest play some of the most attractive soccer in the World. At their worst, the Argentines lack the killer instinct and organization that led to so much success in the 80’s and early 90’s.
In the long run, the bar that Argentina set just before the American soccer boom is one that this country has failed to reach, but it has learned from striving for that level. The Argentine influence on the game in America is an undeniable part of the steady growth of the sport in this country.
Get all the latest World Cup news with Goal.com's dedicated page.
Today, we cover Argentina.
There was a boom in soccer in the USA that was spearheaded by the 1994 World Cup. It was the crowning moment of the USA’s bid to become a viable part of the world’s largest sporting community. For the first time, world’s best players would be on American soil, competing against each other for the biggest prize in the game. Many anticipated a headlining act by the great player, Diego Maradona, and his Argentina team.
Coming off of back-to-back appearances in the World Cup final, including winning the title of World Champions in 1986, Maradona was unquestionably the biggest name in the sport and with him running the show, Argentina were still viable contenders for the crown.
It was not to be. After only playing two games and scoring a single goal against Greece, Maradona was sent home from the Cup after failing a drug test, and the Argentines have not made it past the quarterfinal round since his departure.
Despite leaving the USA 1994 tournament in disgrace, Maradona’s impact was felt on American soil the same way it was in so many other countries around the world. Maradona was one of the first soccer stars to regularly feature in highlight videos of great goals sold in soccer stores all over the United States. His beautiful, free-flowing style and his ability to break down an opposing defense with the ball at his feat sparked a soccer revolution in the youth of America who grew up watching his genius unfold on televisions, even if they never had the chance to see it in person.
One of the players who has admitted trying to model his game after Maradona on a number of occasions (including in the Goal.com video from February of last year) was Clint Dempsey, arguably the most creative player on the current US roster. Though the USA has never been able to match Argentina’s genius in full, the game in this country has progressed due to the effects of Maradona and the creative brand of soccer the Argentines displayed in the years before America’s soccer boom.
Coaches
Only one Argentine coach has taken charge of a team in Major League Soccer, the top-flight league in the USA, but the record of Carlos Cordoba with the Miami Fusion in 1998 was not impressive. The former Boca Juniors player was replaced. The Fusion club itself folded in 2001.
Still, other Argentine coaches were influential because of their success. As American coaches looked to improve, they often took inspiration from Argentina's greatest coaches.
For example, Carlos Bilardo’s impact on Argentine soccer runs deep. Call it tactical wizardry or call it the luck of having one of the most naturally gifted sides in the history of the spot, but whichever way, under Bilardo, Argentina reached staggering heights.
After taking over La Albiceleste in 1983 Bilardo led the charge from the sidelines as Argentina won the 1986 World Cup and fell just short of repeating the feat in 1990. As with many coaches his legacy can be judged not only by the amount of matches he won, but by the amount of future managers who played under him.
Jorge Luis Burruchaga, Sergio Batista, Miguel Angel Ruso, Nery Pumpido, Jose Luis Brown, and of course, current Argentina boss Maradona, all went on to coach professionally with varying levels of success.
Players
The Argentine influence has directly touched some of the USA's top players. Claudio Reyna's father was Argentine, and it was he who guided the midfielder into the game at an an early age, helping mentor the skills that would earn Reyna a long European club career and a distinguished run as Captain America for the national squad.
Veteran USA defender Pablo Mastroeni was actually born in Argentina, but moved to the United States before he turned five. A current promising young player is also of Argentine parentage - Sebastien Lletget.
While the impact of former and current Argentine stars on the minds of American youth may be hard to judge, a wave of Argentine players has also made a direct impact on the game in MLS. Nearly fifty players from that country have suited up for clubs around the league.
In 2007, Guillermo Barros Schelotto became a household name for fans of the league, notching 11 assists and 5 goals in 22 matches, but it was in 2008 that the former Boca Juniors star took the league by storm. With 19 assists and 7 goals in the regular season, the ten-cap winner was an easy choice for the league's Most Valuable Player award. In the MLS Cup final that same year, Schelotto notched three assists to lead the Crew to the MLS title.
But Schelotto is far from the only Argentine to make an impact in MLS. Another Argentine, Christian Gomez, won the MVP award in 2006. Former Argentine national team star Claudio Lopez made his way stateside in 2008, though he never had the same impact in Kansas City that Schelotto had in Columbus. Midfielder Javier Morales has become a star in Salt Lake, and Gino Padula has been a steady contributor for Columbus during their recent successes.
The list goes on, but the end result has been a steady increase in the quality of play throughout the league, and there is no question that Argentines have played a big part in helping to raise the quality on the pitch.
Memorable Matches
The US has a long history of squaring off with Argentina that dates all the way back to the semifinals of the 1930 World Cup - the very first tournament - where the South Americans throttled the USA 6-1.
The USA would get a bit of revenge in the 1995 Copa America with a 3-0 thrashing of Argentina in the group stage en route to a fourth-placed finish in the competition.
However, a dozen years later, Argentina dispatched the USA easily with a 4-1 thrashing even after the Americans got on the board first in Copa America's group play.
The most recent encounter between the two sides took place at Giants stadium in 2008. Despite being a friendly, it was a hotly contested match that ended with the two sides level with no goals to show.
Today
For the first time since Maradona retired, Argentina again boast arguably the best player in the world with Lionel Messi. Like Maradona, Messi’s style has taken the youth of America by storm. Messi's visits to the USA with his club team, Barcelona, are sold out as soccer-loving young players clamor for a glimpse of the star whose moves they check out on YouTube on a regular basis. Once again, hopefuls across the country are trying to imitate the style of Argentina’s little maestro.
Yet with Maradona at the helm, questions are plentiful about the future of the Argentine national side. A rougher-than-usual qualifying run for the 2010 World Cup had fans worldwide calling for Maradona’s job, and his antics at times had people calling for his head. But just last week La Albiceleste waltzed into Germany and came out with a result against one of the toughest teams in the world.
The attacking talent in the squad is still almost unparalleled and Argentina at their finest play some of the most attractive soccer in the World. At their worst, the Argentines lack the killer instinct and organization that led to so much success in the 80’s and early 90’s.
In the long run, the bar that Argentina set just before the American soccer boom is one that this country has failed to reach, but it has learned from striving for that level. The Argentine influence on the game in America is an undeniable part of the steady growth of the sport in this country.
Get all the latest World Cup news with Goal.com's dedicated page.
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