Rank these USMNT teams

Since we haven't seen the actual 2026 squad that's a bit hard to do....

 

Easy:

1 - 2002
2 - 1994
3 - 2010
4 - 2014
5 - 2022
6 - 1990
7 - 2006
8 - 1998

2026…scary.

 

Rank them how? According to their performances at the World Cup? their athleticism? their skill level? the enthusiasm they generated? in what order they would end up if they all played each other? how good their shirts looked?

 

id rather play manager mix-em-up- klinsmann w/98. bruce w/22. bradley w/14. bora w/06.

lets get weird!

*managers ages from the time they managed us (02-06 bruce)

 

This made me think of Caddyshack:

Ty Webb: Oh, Judge, I don't keep score.

Judge Smails: Then how do you measure yourself with other golfers?

Ty Webb: By height.

 

Elo rankings for those same teams at the end of each WC, and currently.

• 1990 WC team (Elo ranking: 62)
• 1994 WC team (Elo ranking: 49)
• 1998 WC team (Elo ranking: 37)
• 2002 WC team (Elo ranking: 21)
• 2006 WC team (Elo ranking: 27)
• 2010 WC team (Elo ranking: 24)
• 2014 WC team (Elo ranking: 17)
• 2022 WC team (Elo ranking: 24)
• 2025 current: (Elo ranking: 45)

 

I do think there's some recency bias against the accomplishments of the 2022 group. In the fullness of time, we'll appreciate that cycle and World Cup more. Maybe we should RIGHT NOW based on what's happening with the 26 cycle. That Holland team we played in the Round of 16 at that 22 WC was better than us. They took eventual champs Argentina to penalties in the next round.

What makes that team ranked below the 2010 team? The 2010 team needed a howler by Robert Green to get a point against England. Needed a last second goal against Algeria to even advance. I loved it. But what makes it better than the 2022 team???? I'm not quite sure.

I'd have to think about the actual ranking of the 2010, 2014, and 2022 cycles in 2-4.

5th is 94. A team that finished 3rd in its group. Highly influential and punched above its weight. We love that team. Still, finished 3rd in their group.

I'll try............

1) 2002
2) 2014
3) 2022
4) 2010
5) 1994
6) 2006
7) 1998
8) 1990

Maybe there aren't many people around who watched the 1990 group. We were lucky to just be there. Expectations were different. Ranking them with the others is a little unfair. That was actually the worst of any of these teams. 5-1 drubbing by the Czech Republic is the worst WC performance I've seen from a US team. That was rough. But also? We saw it coming..................and were lucky the subsequent games weren't worse.

 

Why are we ranking just World Cup teams? I think the 1995 Copa America team was better than any of them.