History of Football in USA

You don't have to major in the history of soccer in US to know that this sport is still far from popular, in comparison to baseball, hockey or basketball. But I've seen American soccer underestimated for a while and people tend to believe that if the game is not the most popular here, it doesn't have a history. I'd like to correct this false belief and tell you that the US soccer history is actually one of the longest in the World, being the 3rd country to have a national soccer team, after England and Scotland. History of Soccer in US – Early Days The fact that the US had a national soccer team for so long, doesn't automatically mean they had a good soccer competition overall. Actually, with the lack of support and popularity swirling around soccer, there wasn't a serious national club competition like European and South American countries already had. With regional divisions that were slightly different in format and organization, the national team had to suffer as well and despite qualifying for the first 4 World Cups ever held, a dark period in the history of soccer in US followed, as the national team did not even manage to qualify for a World Cup between 1954 until 1986. History of Soccer in USA – 1990 and the Shot Heard Round the World In the Italy 1990 World Cup qualifying campaign, the US soccer team did not manage to play especially well, but was still in the competition for a qualifying place. The last match of the campaign would be a crucial one, with the team playing one of the most important games in US soccer history, against Trinidad and Tobago. The Trinidad side only needed a draw to go forth to Italy 1990, whereas the United States needed a win, making the match even more dramatic. Although Trinidad and Tobago did not qualify for a World Cup in their entire history, this match was a huge opportunity for them and coped with the fact that they played home, they were considered favorites. But US' Paul Caligiuri's goal in the 31st minute remained the only of the game, earning one of the most beautiful and hard-earned qualifications in America's soccer history. The goal scored by Caligiuri would soon be known as "the Shot Heard Round the World" as it brought the US team back on the first stage of soccer.