The United States Soccer Federation serves as the official governing body. As a member of FIFA, it has participated in seven World Cups in a row. It has also hosted two Women's World Cups. In addition, it has won four Olympic Gold Medals. Find out more about U.S. Soccer.
FIFA is a member.
FIFA is the FIFA member country for the United States national soccer team. The team was first formed in 1885. It was defeated by Canada in its first game outside of the United Kingdom. The U.S. won this match 1-0. The U.S. reached the finals of the World Cup in 1934. It was again in the finals of the World Cup, but it did not play in Newark. The United States won the bronze and silver medals for men's soccer in the 1904 St. Louis Summer Olympics. It was organized by St. Rose Parish and Christian Brothers College. It was the first tournament to be held outside of Europe.
As a FIFA member, the United States belongs its regional body, CONCACAF. CONCACAF manages North American international soccer. The United States Soccer Federation is a non-profit organization based in Chicago, Illinois. It oversees both amateur and professional soccer in America, as well sanctioning tournaments.
It has played in seven FIFA World Cups consecutively
Until 1982, the U.S. men's soccer team had been almost irrelevant in the international game. The North American Soccer League was established in the 1960s and 1970s but it never became a major player in international soccer. However, that didn't stop U.S. Soccer. The team's first World Cup appearance came in 1982 when they finished 1-1-1 and missed the second round after losing to Egypt on a tiebreaker.
Since then, the US soccer team has had an extensive and varied soccer history. In the 1990s, U.S. soccer made their debut at the World Cup and advanced to the quarterfinals twice. Today, the U.S. soccer team is a strong force in the sport. They have hosted three World Cups.
It has hosted two FIFA Women's World Cups.
In 1999, the United States hosted the Women's World Cup. It was originally hosted in China in 1994. The bid was successful and U.S.Soccer successfully hosted the tournament. In addition to hosting the tournament, the US women's team won U.S. Cup '95, a tournament in which the team defeated Mexico 4-0 and tied Colombia. The women's soccer team placed third in the tournament, beating Canada 3-0. This earned them all-star status.
Other than the World Cup the US soccer team hosted numerous other international soccer events such as the Women's Olympic Games, Pan-American Games, and the Women's Olympic Games. The US women’s team has made huge strides since the 2014 Olympics. Their success at the World Cup has elevated their international reputation. Tobin Heatingh, Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe are the most prominent names in women’s football.
It has been awarded four Olympic Gold Medals
Four Gold medals have been won by the United States soccer team in the history of Olympic soccer. Both men's or women's teams won one gold and one silver. In 1996, the US soccer won its first gold-medal. In Atlanta, they defeated China 2-1. They won the second gold medal in Sydney, Australia, defeating Norway 2-0. They won three more consecutive games after that.
The women's national soccer team is a dominant team with a strong history. Canada lost the first semifinal match in Rio. While they have won more medals, they have yet to win any World Cups. Abby Wambach still has not considered retirement, but she has used Olympic experience to motivate her team and provide an opportunity to make it better than she found.