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United States Soccer Federation

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United States Soccer Federation
CONCACAF
File:United States Soccer Federation.png
Short nameUSSF
Founded1913
HeadquartersChicago
FIFA affiliation1914
CONCACAF affiliation1961
PresidentRobert Contiguglia
Websitehttps://www.ussoccer.com/

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) is the official governing body of the sport of soccer (association football) in the United States. The headquarters is Chicago, Illinois.

It is a member of FIFA, and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's and women's national teams. The USSF is also responsible for sanctioning referees and soccer tournaments for most soccer leagues in the United States.

What is now the United States Soccer Federation was originally the US Football Association, formed in 1913 by the merger of the American Football Association and the American Amateur Football Association and became one of the earliest member organizations of FIFA. The governing body of the sport in the US did not have the word soccer in its name until 1945, when it became the US Soccer Football Association. It did not drop the word football from its name until 1974, when it became the US Soccer Federation. The US WNT (Women's National Team) [1] was founded much later, playing their first game in 1985.

The USSF had the honor of hosting the

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in 1994, the Women's World Cup in 1999 and 2003, the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup in 2000 and 2002 and the Olympics in 1984 and 1996. It has also had the distinction of winning two Women's World Cups in 1991 and 1999 (placing third in 1995 and 2003); the Olympic Gold Medal in 1996 and 2004; and the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup in 2000 and 2002. The US Men's National Team (USMNT) has had a less stellar history. The USMNT qualified for the World Cup in 1930 and 1934, finishing a respectible 3rd in 1930 out of 13 teams participating. In 1950 the US scored their most surprising victory with a 1-0 win over heavily favored England, who were amongst the world's best sides at the time, which has been documented in the book and now movie The Game of Their Lives.

The US failed to reach another World Cup Final until an upstart USMNT made an unlikely qualification for Italia 1990 with the "goal heard around the world" scored by Paul Caligiuri against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain on 19 November 1989 which started the modern era of soccer in the United States. The 1990 USMNT team was quickly disposed of at the World Cup. 

but that set the stage for the US to host the world's biggest sporting event in 1994 where the US made a surprising run to the second round with a shocking "own goal" victory over Colombia which saw the own goal scorer later shot to death in his homeland.  1998 saw another disappointing addition to the history of soccer in the US as the team finished dead last among the 32 teams that qualified for the World Cup.  This embarrassment which included total collapse of team chemistry lead to the sacking of the once considered promising head coach Steve Sampson and the hiring of Bruce Arena who has since gone on to become the most successful USMNT head coach in history.

In 2002 Bruce Arena lead a mix of veterans and youth to a quarterfinal appearance after dispatching the then considered contenders Portugal in the first round and archrivals Mexico in the round of 16 before ultimately falling to runners-up Germany in a controversial loss. Bruce Arena looks to match or surpass that feat in the

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in Germany but faces one of the toughest draws with Italy, the Czech Republic and Ghana in the first round.

World Cup Record

CONCACAF Gold Cup Record

(see CONCACAF Gold Cup)

  • 1991 - Champions
  • 1993 - Second place
  • 1996 - Third place
  • 1998 - Second place
  • 2000 - Quarterfinals
  • 2002 - Champions
  • 2003 - Third place
  • 2005 - Champions

Famous Former Players

Current Players

Goal Keepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

Professional Leagues

Major League Soccer is the first division soccer league in the United States. A separate organization, the United Soccer Leagues, operates two other men's professional leagues, the second division USL First Division and the third division USL Second Division.

Today, there are two first division women's leagues; the USL's W-League, a professional developmental league, and also the WPSL, another professional developmental league. The top-level professional Women's United Soccer Association suspended operations in 2003.

The USSF has also, since 1914, sponsored a nationwide tournament open to all USSF affiliated clubs, now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Associations affiliated with USSF

Adult level

  1. M/W National Teams
  2. Under 23/21 M/W Teams
  3. Major League Soccer
  4. United Soccer Leagues
  5. United States Amateur Soccer Association
  6. United States Club Soccer

Youth level

  1. Under 21, 18, 16 National Teams
  2. Super Y-League
  3. SuperClub Teams
  4. Divisional Teams
  5. United States Youth Soccer Association
  6. American Youth Soccer Organization

Template:US Youth Soccer State Associations

See also

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