When I wanted to start this facts project on the US Men's National Team, I wanted to provide information and clips for quick enjoyment, but this will be something different — more personal. Everyone remembers where they were when Landon Donovan scored that goal against Algeria. Here is mine.
The year is 2010 and I am 19-years-old. This is the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college and I am home for the summer, living with my parents in the house where I grew up. I am working a couple jobs so I can have money to spend at school in the fall, but the main thing I was looking forward to was the World Cup. And now, it is down to the final matches in Group C. In the first match against England on June 12, I missed the match live because I was working at a pool, but watched it on tape delay without knowing the result — basically had to leave my phone at home. Thanks to that Rob Green fumble on that long Clint Dempsey shot, the US drew 1-1.
The second match on June 18 was against Slovenia with an afternoon kickoff local time. My father, who isn't the biggest soccer fan but enjoyed the 2002 World Cup a lot, watched this one with me that morning in the midwest. Goals from Valter Birsa and Zlatan Ljubijankic put the US in a hole at halftime. With head in my hands, I wasn't sure what this team was going to do. Donovan pulled one back early in the second half before Michael Bradley equalized eight minutes from time. Four minutes later, ee felt hard-done-by after Maurice Edu's winner was ruled out for some reason. Either way, it was another draw and a final day where you control your own destiny.
On the morning of June 23, 2010, I didn't know what to feel, just that these next 90 minutes with my father would be full of nerves. (Side note: During the replay on FS1 last night, the camera panned to Donovan twice during the national anthem for some interesting foreshadowing). Though that second-half comeback against Slovenia gave the team life, the US was lacking punch out of the gate and had a habit of conceding in the first 20 minutes — look at the last two World Cup matches and a few times throughout qualifying. That was reinforced in this game with the Algerians looking up for the match as they can advance with a win. Rafik Djebbour hit the crossbar in the fifth minute to produce more nerves. The US finally come to life and in the 20th minute, a Clint Dempsey finish on the goal line was called off for offside. On the replay, he appears to be even and the mood becomes tenser.
Manager Bob Bradley brought on Benny Feilhaber for the second half, showing the intent we were going for this win. Dempsey is involved again early in the second half when he hit the post and skied the rebound. At this point, you are seeing these chances past the team by with no change to the scoreboard. You look at the clock every few minutes as it ticks toward the final half-hour. Edson Buddle replaces Maurice Edu in the 64' to bring more attacking power. Jozy Altidore is denied with a header from inside the six-yard box four minutes later and it is tough to see if this goal will ever come. In the 80', Michael Bradley is stopped on a set-piece. Will this goal ever come?
As the clock ticked toward the 90th minute, the US would be eliminated as the result stands with England defeating Slovenia 1-0 in the other match. 33 seconds past the 90', Tim Howard saves a header from Rafik Saifi, which starts the sequence. The long-throw goes out to Donovan and ...
The year is 2010 and I am 19-years-old. This is the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college and I am home for the summer, living with my parents in the house where I grew up. I am working a couple jobs so I can have money to spend at school in the fall, but the main thing I was looking forward to was the World Cup. And now, it is down to the final matches in Group C. In the first match against England on June 12, I missed the match live because I was working at a pool, but watched it on tape delay without knowing the result — basically had to leave my phone at home. Thanks to that Rob Green fumble on that long Clint Dempsey shot, the US drew 1-1.
The second match on June 18 was against Slovenia with an afternoon kickoff local time. My father, who isn't the biggest soccer fan but enjoyed the 2002 World Cup a lot, watched this one with me that morning in the midwest. Goals from Valter Birsa and Zlatan Ljubijankic put the US in a hole at halftime. With head in my hands, I wasn't sure what this team was going to do. Donovan pulled one back early in the second half before Michael Bradley equalized eight minutes from time. Four minutes later, ee felt hard-done-by after Maurice Edu's winner was ruled out for some reason. Either way, it was another draw and a final day where you control your own destiny.
On the morning of June 23, 2010, I didn't know what to feel, just that these next 90 minutes with my father would be full of nerves. (Side note: During the replay on FS1 last night, the camera panned to Donovan twice during the national anthem for some interesting foreshadowing). Though that second-half comeback against Slovenia gave the team life, the US was lacking punch out of the gate and had a habit of conceding in the first 20 minutes — look at the last two World Cup matches and a few times throughout qualifying. That was reinforced in this game with the Algerians looking up for the match as they can advance with a win. Rafik Djebbour hit the crossbar in the fifth minute to produce more nerves. The US finally come to life and in the 20th minute, a Clint Dempsey finish on the goal line was called off for offside. On the replay, he appears to be even and the mood becomes tenser.
Manager Bob Bradley brought on Benny Feilhaber for the second half, showing the intent we were going for this win. Dempsey is involved again early in the second half when he hit the post and skied the rebound. At this point, you are seeing these chances past the team by with no change to the scoreboard. You look at the clock every few minutes as it ticks toward the final half-hour. Edson Buddle replaces Maurice Edu in the 64' to bring more attacking power. Jozy Altidore is denied with a header from inside the six-yard box four minutes later and it is tough to see if this goal will ever come. In the 80', Michael Bradley is stopped on a set-piece. Will this goal ever come?
As the clock ticked toward the 90th minute, the US would be eliminated as the result stands with England defeating Slovenia 1-0 in the other match. 33 seconds past the 90', Tim Howard saves a header from Rafik Saifi, which starts the sequence. The long-throw goes out to Donovan and ...
The save from Howard to the ball hitting the back of the net takes 12 seconds. Every US fan remembers those 12 seconds. The anticipation and anxiety felt as Donovan drives down the right are tough to describe. When Dempsey is initially denied by Raรฏs M’Bohli, a moment of frustration/sadness was felt. That moment changed in a blink of an eye when Donovan pounced on that rebound to give us a moment that is one of the greatest in team history.
At my house in the midwest, hysteria ensues. My father and I jumped toward the middle of the basement with a loud yell and hug. It was a moment I will never forget. My father and I had plenty of great memories together, but this was something different. It is rare to have a buzzer-beater moment on the world stage, especially with a team you both like, and to be in the same room when it happened was amazing. The US held on for those final few minutes to top Group C. I felt so good after this match and I just imagine how the players felt. This video shows how everyone felt across the country and it still gives me goosebumps and makes me tear up more than I would like to admit.
The biggest reason this moment means so much to me is that my father passed away in 2016. He was a great father to me in every way, but it's moments shared like this one that makes life special. I wouldn't have wanted to share it with anyone else and that moment will stick with me until I am old and gone. Looking back 10 years on from this moment, it brings me happiness.
The US would go on to lose to Ghana in the Round of 16 on June 26 and I listened to the Asamoah Gyan extra-time winner in my car on the radio on my way to work at Dollar Tree. My father would end up enjoying the 2015 US Women's World Cup-winning team more than any soccer team in his life and I am happy for that, and I hope this moment was remembered by him as fondly as it is remembered by me.
Thanks for reading.
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All match reports and stories posted to Twitter. Follow at @usmnt_historian
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