PRETORIA, South Africa – With a day to let the madness of it all sink in – a day to just sit around and be a proud resident of the United States of Donovan – now is the right time to begin layering in some perspective to what happened in stoppage time Wednesday.
Dispatches From South Africa: Where Landon Donovan’s Goal Versus Algeria Rank
So, with a little distance to enrich the perspective, let’s look at where Landon Donovan’s goal ranks among the list of important U.S. Soccer strikes.
One disclaimer: I never quite know where to count Joe Gaetjens’ goal in Belo Horizonte back in 1950, the one that stunned England in a 1-0 win. It was huge for a momentary shock, even globally so, but it really meant so little in the big picture. So, we’ll fudge a little by talking about U.S. goals in the "modern era."
Here are the Top Five in my view:
Apologies right off the bat to Preki’s for his goal against Brazil in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal. It really was a tremendous individual strike, and at the time it was a pretty big story. But its importance in the bigger picture really pales next to anything that happens in a World Cup, even if it did stir some rare soccer coffee shop talk at the time.
Another "honorable mention" will be Brian McBride’s goal to open the scoring against Mexico in the 2002 second-round win. In all honesty, that was just such a tremendous effort all the way around, the win over Mexico to move into the tournament quarterfinals. But was one moment so terribly memorable above all others? It really was a well-constructed goal, to be sure. But this is a Top Five list, not a Top Six, so …
5. Earnie Stewart’s second half goal against Colombia in 1994 essentially lifted the United States into the second round at their own tournament, providing a tremendous lift to the World Cup’s domestic appeal Tab Ramos supplied the pass to a rushing Stewart in the 2-1 win over fancied Colombia in the Rose Bowl. An infamous Colombian own goal before the break had arranged the stage, and Stewart’s effort after intermission provided the punctuation mark in the tournament’s biggest shocker.
4. Most of America was still asleep when the United States began tearing through a stunned and heavily favored Portuguese side in the small hours of June 5, 2002. (In fact, even a few of the best U.S. fans were still trying to wake up when the goals started pouring in.) John O’Brien’s early shocker started the deluge against this celebrated Portuguese side. Brian McBride and a deflected Landon Donovan cross would supply the other goals in the 3-2 win, but it was O’Brien’s close-range effort that launched the entire, successful 2002 U.S. effort in Asia.
3. It wasn’t just the drama and theater of Michael Bradley’s late goal against Slovenia. And it wasn’t just that his signature late run into the penalty area arranged the stage for Wednesday’s win over Algeria. It was also that Bradley’s goal capped a remarkable, heroic two-goal comeback. It really was symbolic of tremendous team unity and belief, which seems to be driving this team. And the pictures of that one U.S. fan, who burst into tears at the sight of it all, adds something to the goal as well. What a moment of true (not manufactured) TV magic.
2. Even if the United States doesn’t go any further here, everyone with any connection to soccer in this country will remember where they were when Landon Donovan finished his driving run for redemption by sticking that ball into the Algerian net. It was amazing to be in the stadium for that one (and to watch the U.S. fans here more or less be told to leave after about 30 minutes; no one wanted to go home). But I understand the ESPN call was one for the ages, too. So, everyone wins on that one.
1. It’s easy to believe now that the United States would be right where it is today whether Paul Caligiuri scored his historic goal back in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in 1989. But in all likelihood, the effort wouldn’t be nearly so far along. The Americans needed a small miracle on the final day of the World Cup 1990 qualifying process down in Trinidad and Tobago’s capital. Caligiuri created one with his long range shot; it wasn’t a shot struck with particular menace, but it was fortuitously well-angled against a setting sun. So, on to Italia ’90 went the Americans, and their ability to qualify lent credibility once the country hosted the World Cup in 1994.
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