The 7 Best USMNT World Cup Goals of All Time | OneFootball

Of the 40 all-time USMNT World Cup goals, these are the best.

The United States men’s national team has a modest World Cup history, participating in just 11 of the 22 total tournaments since its inception in 1930. There have been some unlikely runs, like in 1994 and 2002, along with some major flops, like in 1998 and 2006. Still, even with just 37 games played at the World Cup level, the USMNT has delivered some magical moments for fans and those who have bet World Cup matches alike.

Of the 40 goals the United States has scored at the World Cup, we are counting down some of the best of the modern era. Sadly, there exists limited footage from 1930 and 1950, so we will omit those.

But when it comes to truly magical moments, these seven goals can be defined as the top goals scored by the USMNT at the World Cup.

2014: Clint Dempsey in Seconds

At Brazil 2014, the USMNT was placed in a group with Germany, Portugal, and Ghana, and would need all the help, luck, and chances it could get. Clint Dempsey set the tone with a strike just 30 seconds in against Ghana in the opener. It wasn’t a fluke goal either. It was vintage Dempsey, playing the best soccer of his career.

The goal was essential in calming American nerves as the U.S. fought on to a 2-1 win, and it further cemented proof that this current generation has yet to fully fill the World Cup shoes of the likes of Dempsey or Landon Donovan.

2002: Air McBride

In the United States’ opening game of the 2002 World Cup, few, if any, gave the Americans a chance against Portugal, who fielded a team featuring Luís Figo, Rui Costa, Vítor Baía, and Pedro Pauleta. Even more unlikely was the United States racing out to a 3-0 lead, playing the greatest 30 minutes in its World Cup history.

In the 36th minute, Brian McBride scored a marvelous flying header after a magical run by Tony Sanneh to cement the three-goal lead. The game would end far tighter than anyone would have liked, but the 3-2 win set the tone that the USMNT was ready to make history at the World Cup.

1994: Earnie Stewart’s Clincher Against Colombia

When the United States found themselves up 1-0 against Colombia in their second match of the 1994 World Cup, courtesy of an unfortunate own goal by Andrés Escobar, the Colombians began to wilt while the U.S. grew into the match.

In the second half, Colombia looked deflated as their attempts repeatedly ended in the hands of Tony Meola. The United States then put together a string of passes where Tab Ramos found Earnie Stewart, who beat Óscar Córdoba to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead and an eventual 2-1 victory. It was the biggest win in U.S. history for what it meant to the sport, giving soccer a massive shot in the arm.

We may not be here today had things gone differently, and while not the prettiest of goals, Stewart’s finish may be the most important of them all.

2002: Donovan Seals it Against Mexico

A rare all-CONCACAF World Cup knockout stage match saw the U.S. and Mexico square off in the round of 16 at the 2002 World Cup. An overconfident Mexican side found themselves 1-0 down after an early goal from McBride. Then, in the 65th minute, a now-deflated Mexico saw Eddie Lewis burst down the left and cross a perfect ball to Donovan, putting the U.S. up 2-0.

The goal crushed Mexico’s hopes and gave the USMNT an unprecedented quarterfinal appearance at the World Cup. It’s the biggest egg on Mexico’s face when it comes to its rivalry with the Americans.

2014: Jermaine Jones’s Sensational Strike Against Portugal

The United States were down 1-0 to a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portuguese side that had taken the lead following a U.S. backline mishap. In the USMNT’s best overall performance of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Jermaine Jones unleashed a rocket in the 64th minute to level the match.

The momentum allowed the Americans to take a 2-1 lead, though the game would eventually end 2-2. Jones, who was playing for Beşiktaş at the time, was one of the U.S.’s best players in Brazil and produced a strike rarely seen from American players on the world stage.

1994: Eric Wynalda Gives the U.S. Life

Eric Wynalda scored one of the best free-kick goals of the last eight World Cup editions. In the USMNT’s opening match against Switzerland, in front of a sellout crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome, the Americans went down to a Georges Bregy free kick that beat Meola.

Needing a confidence boost in “their” World Cup, Wynalda brought a country to life with a magnificent strike in the 45th minute that even had Detroit police clapping and cheering. A world-class goal, and one the USMNT has never truly replicated since. The match would end 1-1.

2010: GO! Landon! GO!

Perhaps the most emotional goal scored by the USMNT in the modern era, the United States had drawn both of their matches at the 2010 World Cup against England and Slovenia, needing a win to advance. After attacking Algeria for over 90 minutes, Bob Bradley’s men looked to have their World Cup hopes dashed.

Then, in the 91st minute, Donovan scored a last-ditch effort that not only won the match but turned the downtrodden Americans into group leaders, finishing first in Group C. A moment of pure frenzy in a whirlwind of emotion, that World Cup goal served as a major jumping-on point for the sport.