With Marcelo Balboa retiring this week, John Harkes out of a job, Eric Wynalda to the broadcast booth and Tab Ramos stepping away after last season, it dawned on me that the 94 WC team is slowly fading from the playinf fields. This group really played a big role in helping US Soccer grow. Because the US hosted and did modestly well in 94, the team got some pretty good hype and a few of the players actually got some mainstream attention. Many of them were pioneers in helping Americans make it abroad and most of them were founders of MLS and helped - or had helped - the US in pursuit of qualifying for World Cups in 90, 98 and even 02. Marcelo Balboa - retired before 03 MLS season Mike Burns - out of contract, last played in 02 Paul Caligiuri - retired after 01 MLS season Fernando Clavijo - retired after 94 World Cup Thomas Dooley - retired after 2000 MLS season Brad Friedel - active, Blackburn, (Eng.) John Harkes - out of contract, last played in 02 Cobi Jones - active, LA Galaxy Frank Klopas - retired after 99 MLS season Alexi Lalas - active, LA Galaxy Mike Lapper - retired during 2002 MLS season Tony Meola - active, KC Wizards Joe-Max Moore - active, NE Revolution Cle Kooiman - retired after 99 MLS season Hugo Perez - retired in 98 playing in El Salvador Tab Ramos - retired after the 02 MLS season Claudio Reyna - active, Sunderland (Eng.) Juergen Sommer - out of contract, last played in 02 Earnie Stewart - active, DC United Mike Sorber - retired after 2000 MLS season Roy Wegerle - retired after 98 MLS season Eric Wynalda - retired in 2002 It's really a shame that US Soccer didn't do more for these guys that are no longer playing. Dooley got a fairwell match but several others deserved one and didn't get one: Caligiuri, Harkes, Waldo, Tab. Not honoring these guys was not the USSF's finest hour. Of the 7 active players, which one do we think will play the longest? Here are their DOB's oldest to youngest. Meola - 2/2/69 Stewart - 3/28/69 Lalas - 6/1/70 Jones - 6/16/70 Moore - 2/23/71 Friedel - 5/18/71 Reyna - 7/20/73 Because he's the second youngest, and because he's a GK, I expect Friedel will be the last one standing, as it were. But, after that, I'd put my money of Cobi. Many of the others have a history on injuries and are playing away from home. Cobi plays in his backyard and for the most part stays injury free. I like his chances to play longer over those of Lalas, Moore and even Reyna.
I'd like to see some sort of 10th Anniversary celebration next year to honor these guys. Seems like as good a time as any, and we can pay tribute to everybody at once. Halftime at the Allstar game would be a good time, as hopefully the Euros would still be around in the US. Friedel definitely wins the Last Man Standing. He's one of the best in the world at his position, whereas the others (as you mentioned) have injury problems or are starting their decline now or in the near future.
I had forgotten that Friedel was on the '94 team, not Keller. I always thought that Keller was considered the stronger keeper in the early/mid '90's. What's the story with why Friedel was picked over Keller in '94?
A team that had more heart than soccer talent.. Will always remember them, and was one of the 6 teams I saw in 1994... (Italy- Ireland, Argentina- Greece, USA- Colombia were my 3 1994 games).. The guys who did really well for that team are the ones most active years later.. Meola and Brad have really proven themselves, Cobi and Alexi are now soccer icons, at least here in the states, Stewart had an awsome 13 yrs in Holland, Reyna a great euro career and the youngest of all above mentioned player will be around the longest.. J M Moore at least got Everton on his resume.. Not bad for a team that was not suppost to go no where.. And went farther than we could ever hope... Possibly were the team responsible for the whole US soccer revolution...
Yes, but he was one of the 22 on the roster. Friedel, Sommer, Moore, Lapper, Klopas and Burns also didn't play but they were still on the 22 and got listed as part of the team.
harkes retired tonight in columbus. @ half-time they had a nice tribute to him. he got a nice standing ovation...
Wasn't that the point of the All-Star game last year? Or was that more for the Nats after the great run at the World Cup?
great thread. was really intersting to read. being a young guy i had forgotten soem of the names on that list.
That would be a fun idea for this year's All Star game. It would give some of the old guys a chance to play in the new Home Depot Center, too. MLS best 11 today vs. 'old guard' NATS: Meola Agoos Lalas Cello Caliguiri Cobi Harkes Tab Stewart Wynalda Moore bench: sorber, burns, preki, vermes, sommer, mckeon, bravo, henderson, fraser, wegerle, lassiter
I could see this as an exhibition, but not as the actual All-Star game. I'm not sure running the MLS Best XI against a squad with several retired players on it is a very good marketing idea. Although there's no reason to doubt that with the exception of the guys who haven't played high-level ball in at least several months (Celo, Caligiuri, Tab, Harkes), these older Nats could still hold their own.
I bet someone has video of Cello's bike that was MLS goal of the year in MLS a few years ago. For my money, that's still the best goal in MLS history.
yes, that was the case. There were rumors that Keller's contact with a glove sponsor started the conflict. Bora thought that Keller was being snorbish. I do not think Keller was ever called into a Bora's camp. They also started Friedel over Keller at the Barcelona Olympics. The sponsorship conflict came into picture around that time. BTW, I have an autographed soccer ball from the USA 1994 team. It also included the first alternatives. I think Des Armstrong was one of them.
Balboa also scored a bicycle kick against Honduras or El Salvador in the 1993 Gold Cup that started everything.
Thanks for the thread. This was the team that got me interested in international soccer in the first place. Before that, I played, but I had no idea what the highest level of competition was all about. Ramos, Harkes, Wynalda, Lalas, Cobi Jones. They will always be my first taste of the international game.
U.S. Soccer owes a great deal to this generation. Though our programs existed previously, lets face it, these guys are the founding fathers of modern U.S. Soccer. I still think that one of U.S. Soccer's biggest mistakes was letting Dooley go back across the pond. His knowledge of the game was invaluable and we should have done whatever it takes to keep him in MLS or the U.S.A. as a coach. I like the previously stated idea of having a 10 year celebration of this team next year.