Great thread. I became a casual fan around the 1998 World Cup - I tuned in for the US at that World Cup, disappeared for 4 years, tuned in again and watched our awesome 2002 World Cup run, then disappeared again. Then, in the summer of 2005, something clicked. I got regular access to cable TV for the first time and discovered this wonderful little network known as Fox Soccer Channel. I was immediately hooked, and I've lived and breathed the sport ever since. In the 15 years since, I think I've only missed one USMNT game (the 2014 Camp Cupcake match against South Korea, due to a DVR fail).
Didn't really watch much soccer until I stopped playing competitively after high school. Graduated in 2002 and watched that World Cup.
The beginning of MLS was when I started following the USMNT closely, but I started watching soccer much earlier. 1996 happened to also be the first time I had the opportunity to see the USMNT on TV. I saw much of the 1990 World Cup, but was too young to remember a whole lot. I started casually following the USMNT's results some time in 1992 or 1993. Missed most of the 1994 World Cup and saw none of the USA's matches because I was in Dubai (I was there 1987-1995, ages 3-12), which is 9 hours ahead of Eastern time. I was back in the US just in time to catch the beginning of MLS. The first USMNT match I remember seeing was vs. Ireland in the 1996 US Cup, and I've seen almost every match the USMNT has played on either broadcast or basic cable TV since then.
Mine was the 2010 World Cup, and then more so when the US beat Italy. Then I started following Donovan at Everton, and then MLS, and then other Yanks. Speaking of, who else has played up a level on loan? I’ve always seen it the other way around.
Played soccer as a kid and first tuned in to the World Cup for Italia '90. Followed all WCQ games in the cycles that came after that. I started going to the World Cup in 2006 (Germany) and haven't missed one since. Even went to Russia when we failed because I already had my plane tickets. The failure in TnT burned me badly and turned me off to the national team for a good 18 months. Am starting to return again but there's not much to see these days, game wise. Excited about a new generation coming through to replace the missing generation that cost us the last cycle.
That Italy tournament was bleak, but it as the first one in which the US played a televised World Cup. It was highly anticipated by everyone in my circle because the US was a very proud nation with a lot of belief in those days and those of us who played competitively grew in these disparate soccer subcultures and came together in the developmental pools and wanted to test themselves against the soccer powers.
Great thread, it's been fun reading everyone's origin story. Would love to hear from more recent members. Thought I might see one or two tales of the '10 Algeria match... I was 8 when the US team came to Tampa, hosting Finland in a friendly. For some odd reason, my youth soccer coach at the time had connections at Tampa Stadium (before sponsors named stadia) and so we got to be one of those youth teams the players walk with through the tunnel. I don't remember much about the game, but I do still have the little replica Finnish flag they gave us that day. It was during the '94 Cup stateside that I started to understand the international game. Our family considered seeing one of the games in Orlando (Morocco v... Ireland? Belgium?) but for some reason didn't make it. The intensity of the USA victory vs. Colombia match, though, is what sealed my dedication for the USMNT. Such an intoxicating match from a US perspective. I remember even a few of my soccer-neutral friends were talking about the win--and the later misfortune of Colombia's Andres Escobar, who was shot to death after scoring the own-goal that ultimately gave us the win. In poor adolescent taste, we would chase each other around yelling, "Thanks for the auto-goal," which I prefer to think was just our immature way of processing the tragedy of being assassinated for making an honest sporting mistake. Something we couldn't fathom from our comparatively sheltered experience with American sports culture. Once I went to college in 2000, the real fandom began. Like flying into New York shortly after September 11, making a pit stop at Ground Zero before seeing the US clinch a World Cup berth by beating Jamaica 2-1 at Foxboro. That was the birth of my obsession. I watched every match live for over a decade following, never missing kickoff. The USMNT became my most coveted pastime. On the night of the Portugal match in the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup, I remember being on a third date with a girl. The game started at I believe 3:30am Eastern, right around the time said girl was inviting me inside her place. An unmistakingly amorous invitation. Imagine the look on her face when I declined her advances because I had to go home to watch a soccer game. Let's just say there were a lot of questions about my decision-making then, but I contend to this day that witnessing live the 3-2 victory over Portugal was, in fact, better than sex. (Side note: That girl and I ended up dating for 4 years, and despite our phenomenal chemistry in the bedroom I maintain my previous assertion about that game.) My streak of live games was broken sometime in 2013 (adult responsibilities) but I have caught every match since, if just recorded for delayed viewing, save for a few matches during the dark period following the Couva folly. That includes live matches to see Benny's golazo in the '07 Gold Cup final and Landon's hat trick against Ecuador I think that same year. But yeah, it all started with that innocuous 1990 friendly against Finland and the '94 World Cup right here in the States. Which makes me confident, as others have suggested, that 2026 will be a boon for the profile of American soccer with tons of kids bound to catch on to the love of the game. Perhaps then stories like my Portugal decision will become a little less... unusual.
Italia '90. Watched our boys go toe-to-toe with Italy. Fandom ratcheted up at USA '94 and into high gear with the launch of MLS. Haven't been the same since.
I came aboard summer 2007 just after the Gold Cup so basically Fulhamerica helped get me more curious about the NT.
Toby Charles and Holleder Stadium in Rochester NY for me, which Beckenbauer once famously referred to as a "potato patch" when assessing the quality of the pitch. Played through my youth, high school, and at the collegiate level in late 70's and 80's. Different world back then when it came to soccer in the states for sure. Started getting into the Nats right from the get go but didn't really go down the rabbit hole until after the disaster at Couva.
Its complicated! As far as I can remember, I have always been a fan of the sport. My first recollection is the 1978 championship game between Argentina and the Dutch, rooting for the Dutch but falling for the Argies as the game progressed, I was 14 and we were living in Mexico at the time. No team appealed to me as it was mostly America and Chivas on TV, besides, my dad, who grew up in the heart of TX, would make us watch the Cowboys every Sunday and as such, I believed American football was what we were supposed to watch. I watched the next world cups and liked and rooted only for certain players, like Dino Zoff, Latto, Rummenigge, Rossi Platini, etc, but could not really adopt a team to fully get behind. I wondered what my country needed to do to participate. And then Italy 90 happened and I have been here ever since. I have not missed a single game. I've stayed up all night, i have woken up at God forsaken hours, missed work, missed school, whatever needs to be done to watch it live. And as such, I describe my interest in the USA team as the following... Been here since i can remember, will be here when all the memories are gone.
I’ll pop in here to say US Cup 1993. I watched the US-Germany 4-3 loss probably 10 times on VHS as a 12-year-old. Wynalda and Klinsmann. Thomas Dooley. Alexi’s backwards header England goal highlight showing at halftime. Give me all the hype trains for the kids we have coming through. There are a lot of mangled hype trains we need as many young pups as we can get. From the small print: @NYCFC has declined the option for Gedion Zelalem.Feels like there are a LOT of lessons for US soccer media & supporters to learn from his heralded rise 5-6 years ago, starting with a high-profile transfer to @Arsenal.I feel badly for the young man— Steve Davis (@SteveDavis90) December 3, 2020 And let me tell you how good I thought Kyle Martino was going to be before the Cameroon game.
Paul Caliguiri, the shot heard round the world. 1990 WC Qualies. Watched the ladies win the WC in 1991 on tape delayed (or was it middle of the night?), crappy broadcasts. My older (half) brother got me watching Soccer Made in Germany when I was about 6. Started playing in first grade.
That was Bundesliga in English on PBS, I believe he’s referring to. I’m told when I was 4-5 years old I cheered for the Yellow Team (I assume Dortmund)
I began playing in 1980. I began following international soccer during the 1982 World Cup. Me following the US team began with an article in late 1987 half way around the world. In Iran in my local sports magazine I read that Chile had dropped out of the bidding for the 1994 World Cup thus leaving the US, Brazil and Morocco to duke it out. I immediately thought the US would win it due to their facilities at which point the 1994 World Cup became an obsession for me. Then I thought to myself as the US would probably not wanna embarrass themselves they will be working on strengthening and preparing their team. That made me began following the US team (as difficult as it was without the internet yet and barely any coverage of them in Iran). One article in 1989 stated that Beckenbauer had agreed to a $55 million contract following the 1990 World Cup although clearly that never happened even though I was convinced it was a done deal. I wrote to both Soccer America and Soccer International magazines asking for more info about the US team. Either they never responded or perhaps it got "lost" in the mail by the mailman (especially if it was a sports magazine). I moved to the US in 1992 and began buying old magazines, particularly those covering the 1991 Gold Cup. I was pleasantly surprised to see Soccer International had printed part of my letter. I did realize my dream of being part of the 1994 World Cup by attending 5 games (4 in Foxboro and 1 in the Pontiac Silverdome for which I drove 13 hours straight from Connecticut following the World Cup opener in order to see the US play Switzerland). Furthermore I was a volunteer bus driver for Nigeria's team (meaning driving 1:45 each way from Connecticut every day during my shifts) and got to see their practice sessions when I drove them from their hotel to the field (Wheaton College I believe it was).
I was a weird case. I was one of those "once every four years" type of fans back in 2002. Back then growing up we didn't have cable TV, so I had to listen to sports radio every day hoping they'd say the results of the matches that took place. Became hooked for good in 2010.
No doubt. We didn’t have much access to European league games or international soccer in most of the US at the time. Seeing Nigeria in person in that tournament was kind of shocking. They were big, strong, fast, skilled, and smart. I have been a Super Eagles fan ever since.
Played recreationally (recess) as early as fourth grade (1973) in Maryland. Relocated and didn't play again for 13 years, but saw the 1978 final on Wide World Of Sports and kind of kept an eye on the game thru magazines and microfilm/fiche. Joined an adult rec league in 1986 and have maintained interest in the game ever since.
I learned about professional soccer really late. I loved to play and started when I was like 6. All my siblings and I played pretty much year round (3+me) so I was seldom home Saturday mornings to know about teams playing. MLS existed but I simply never heard of it. Honestly, I thought there were the World Cup teams and that was it. Looking back, that makes no sense, but it's just what I thought. I happened to catch the 2006 World Cup and heard them talking about the players' clubs and started to look them up. That's when I discovered the whole world of professional soccer. Gold Cup 2007 was my first real following of USA. I'll probably always overrate Feilhaber because of that volley. The 2010 cycle overall was when I started figuring out how to follow the team and started watching most games.
I'm a bit of a "noob" relatively speaking. The first football match I remember watching was the dreadful 3-0 drubbing to Czechia in 2006 (I was 6. It seems I'm quite a bit younger than most here). From there, I spent the rest of my childhood following football in the same capacity most American sports fans do: watching the USMNT at the World Cup before disappearing for the next 47 months until the next one rolled around. Ironically, it was the aftermath of Couva that brought me in as an avid fan. Although I didn't care about football outside the World Cup, I still always enjoyed supporting the USMNT every 4 years. But with the realization that this time I wouldn't get to cheer for the US, I began doing a bit of research, wondering just how the richest country in the world could lose to Trinidad and miss the World Cup. In doing so, I uncovered a budding generation of young players, all poised to make their mark, to guide the USMNT on the path to redemption. I ultimately decided to watch the 2018 World Cup as a neutral, and for the first time actually began to enjoy the game for what it was rather than simply as a way to root for the US. Also during that tournament, several ads poking fun at us for failing to qualify, plus Donovan's embarrassing sell-out to Wells Fargo, pissed me off so much that I was determined to see the US rebound and prove all the haters wrong. Been hooked on football and the USMNT ever since.
I was there at Soldier Field. That goal was one of the best I have ever seen live. And the look on all the faces of the Mexican fans in my section was priceless.