king
1 Brad Friedel
knight
2 Frankie Hejduk
pawn
23 Eddie Pope
pawn
12 Jeff Agoos
knight
22 Tony Sanneh
bishop
5 John O'Brien
rook
10 Claudio Reyna
rook
4 Pablo Mastroeni
bishop
8 Earnie Stewart
queen
20 Brian McBride
queen
21 Landon Donovan
4-3-1-2
4-4-2
4-3-3
4-2-3-1
4-1-4-1
4-5-1
4-3-2-1
3-5-2
3-4-3
5-3-2
5-4-1
Piece
Switch player
World Cup 2002

United States

Quarter-finals

A group-stage exit in 1998 had been a sobering lesson. United States returned in 2002 with renewed purpose. Under Bruce Arena, they were ready to write the next chapter.

0
Played
0
Wins
0
Goals
0
Win Rate
Latest News
Germany 1-0 United States in the Quarter-Final
The German team secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the United States in a thrilling quarter-final encounter at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium on June 21st, 2002. Jan 27, 2026
DEU1
PRY0
MEX0
USA2
DEU1
USA0
The Campaign

World Cup 2002

United States's tournament was a mixed affair, with promising moments offset by results that ultimately cut their journey short.

20:30 FT Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
Germany
1 ◆︎ 0
United States
Quarter-finals
15:30 FT Jeonju World Cup Stadium
Mexico
0 ◆︎ 2
United States
Round of 16
20:30 FT Daejeon World Cup Stadium
Poland
3 ◆︎ 1
United States
group stage
15:30 FT Daegu World Cup Stadium
Korea Republic
1 ◆︎ 1
United States
group stage
18:00 FT Suwon World Cup Stadium
United States
3 ◆︎ 2
Portugal
group stage
The Defining Moment

United States 2002

The United States at Korea-Japan 2002 produced the best American World Cup run since 1930. Brian McBride, Landon Donovan, and Claudio Reyna led a side that blended athleticism with tactical discipline under coach Bruce Arena. The group stage brought a historic 3-2 victory over Portugal one of the pre-tournament favourites with goals from John O'Brien, Donovan, and McBride. In the round of 16, the USA defeated Mexico 2-0 in a fierce derby. The quarter-final against Germany was closer than the 1-0 scoreline suggested a clear handball by Torsten Frings on the goal line went unpunished in the pre-VAR era. The run put American soccer on the map and proved that the USA could compete with the world's traditional powers.

2002 campaign
0 matches played

2won1drawn2lost

7scored7conceded

Top Scorer

Landon Donovan

0 goals
21Midfielder

Landon Donovan led United States's attack with 2 goals 1 in the group stage and 1 in the round of 16 at the 2002 World Cup. Shared the top-scorer honours with McBride, both with 2.

Discipline
0 cards

14yellow

2.8per match

10 cards in knockout matches Hejduk booked twice.

Head Coach

Bruce Arena

United States · 2002

The tactical mind behind United States's 2002 campaign. Leading United States at his first World Cup 2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses under Arena.

Playing Style

Road Warriors of North America

Tactical identity · 2002

The team's aggressive playing style and tactical approach allowed them to punch above their weight class in the group stage, but they ultimately couldn't overcome Germany's depth and quality. Arena's side relied heavily on individual brilliance from Donovan and McBride.

Goalkeepers

1
Brad Friedel
5GAMES
GK
18
Kasey Keller
GK
19
Tony Meola
GK

Defenders

2
Frankie Hejduk
4GAMES
LB
3
Gregg Berhalter
2GAMES
CB
6
David Regis
CB
12
Jeff Agoos
3GAMES
CB
14
Steve Cherundolo
CB
16
Carlos Llamosa
2GAMES
CB
22
Tony Sanneh
5GAMES
RB
23
Eddie Pope
5GAMES
CB

Midfielders

4
Pablo Mastroeni
3GAMES
CM
5
John O'Brien
5GAMES1GOAL
CM
7
Eddie Lewis
3GAMES
LM
8
Earnie Stewart
4GAMES
RM
10
Claudio Reyna
4GAMES
CM
13
Cobi Jones
4GAMES
CM
17
DaMarcus Beasley
3GAMES
LM

Forwards

9
Joe-Max Moore
2GAMES
CF
11
Clint Mathis
3GAMES1GOAL
CF
15
Josh Wolff
2GAMES
CF
20
Brian McBride
5GAMES2GOALS
CF
21
Landon Donovan
5GAMES2GOALS
CF
This site uses cookies and localStorage for authentication, preferences, and gameplay. No third-party tracking. Privacy Policy