On the Pitch
On the Pitch
On the Pitch
On the Pitch
Veterans Day: Meet the Members of the Inaugural USMNT Squad Who Fought for Democracy
U.S. Soccer’s first president and seven of the 14 members of the inaugural USMNT squad served their country during World War I
Just one year after the U.S. Soccer Federation was founded at a meeting in New York City on April 5, 1913, the world descended into chaos. Europe’s Great War broke out in July 1914, leading to U.S. involvement by 1917. This was an incredibly volatile period around the world, but it was also transformational for soccer in the United States.
Following the Federation’s founding, the sport entered a period of unprecedented growth during the 1910s. Domestic clubs were beginning to flourish, as evidenced by the creation of the U.S. Open Cup in 1914, while the U.S. Men’s National Team played its first official matches against Sweden and Norway on a Scandinavian tour in 1916.
Members of All-America soccer team which toured Scandinavia in the fall of 1916, who now are “over there” fighting for democracy | From Spalding's Official "Soccer" Football Guide (1918-19)
Major G. Randolph Manning, first U.S. Soccer president | From Spalding's Official "Soccer" Football Guide (1918-19)
Manning was an English-born physician who served as the first secretary of the German Football Association (DFB) before becoming the first president of the U.S. Soccer Federation. He studied medicine in Germany and played as a forward for German clubs VfB Pankow and Freiburger FC. At VfB Pankow, he played alongside his friend Franz John, who would later found FC Bayern Munich. He immigrated to the United States in 1906 and became involved with soccer at various levels, eventually serving as U.S. Soccer’s first president from 1913 to 1915.
George Tintle, Harrison, N.J. (1892-1975)
The USMNT ahead of its first match on home soil, a 1925 matchup against Canada
Following a one-and-done experience delivered by Argentina at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, the USMNT’s next big task was the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Montevideo, Uruguay. Uncertainty surrounded the United States’ squad and its ability as the team embarked on the 18-day journey on the SS Munargo from Hoboken, N.J. to Montevideo. What came next was history, not only for the USMNT but also for the FIFA World Cup itself.
The United States dominated Group 4 of the inaugural World Cup, defeating both Belgium and Paraguay by 3-0 scorelines at Estadio Gran Parque Central. Against 1920 Summer Olympic champions Belgium, future National Soccer Hall of Famers Bart McGhee, Tom Florie and Bert Patenaude scored while fellow Hall of Fame goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas tallied the first clean sheet in World Cup history.
The USMNT at the 1930 FIFA World Cup at Estadio Parque Central in Montevideo, Uruguay
Following the two-match Group Stage, the USMNT were again bested by a strong Argentina side, this time falling in the Semifinals 6-1. Despite the undesirable result and no third-place match, the United States was retroactively recognized as the third-place finisher—still the USMNT’s best result at any World Cup.
As soccer flourished in the United States and around the world, U.S. Soccer continued to field a senior men’s national team as the first half of the 20th century progressed. As the years and decades marched on, the USMNT found replicating the success of its nascent days more difficult.
After qualifying for the 1934 FIFA World Cup thanks to a 4-2 victory against regional rival Mexico—the pair’s first meeting—the USMNT fell to host and eventual champion Italy in its first and only match at the 1934 World Cup. Of note, all five goals the USMNT scored in either World Cup qualification or the tournament proper in Italy were scored by Italian American Aldo Donelli, who would later go on to play college football and coach in the NFL.
The USMNT at the 1934 FIFA World Cup
From there, the USMNT found wins increasingly hard to come by, failing to find victory in 13 consecutive matches between 1935 and 1949, a stretch that included a nearly decade-long hiatus in play due to World War II and the emergence of established regional powers such as Mexico and Cuba.
The USMNT snapped its 14-match winless streak after 15 years with a 5-2 victory against Cuba in the 1949 NAFC Championship in Mexico City. Organized by the North American Football Confederation, a direct predecessor to Concacaf, the NAFC Championship served as the region’s qualification to the FIFA World Cup. With a 1-2-1 runner-up finish in the three-team tournament, the USMNT secured qualification to its third World Cup—the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil—where the United States would go on to produce one of the most remarkable upsets in tournament history.
