Many Americans have made their imprint on soccer since the Oneida Soccer Club in Boston fielded the first team of rostered players in U.S. history in 1862. The U.S. national men's and women's teams usually compete in their respective World Cup tournaments and many Americans participate in elite leagues in Europe. Whether the players are wearing the red, white and blue of the United States or the colors of an English Premier League team, the impact certain Americans have had on the game is undeniable.
Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan is a striker for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, as of 2011. A native of Ontario, California, Donovan is first in career goals and assists with the U.S. national team and is well-known for his last-minute winning goal against Algeria in the FIFA World Cup in 2010, which allowed the U.S. to advance out of the preliminary round. Although he is now a staple of the MLS, Donovan began his career overseas with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany at 16. Donovan made his first World Cup appearance in 2002 and played a significant role in helping the United States become one of the final eight teams in the tournament.
Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm, a retired soccer star, is perhaps the most iconic figure in the history of U.S. women's soccer. A native of Selma, Alabama, Hamm made her debut with the national women's team at age 15. She is still the youngest player to have ever played for the national team. She has been named the soccer athlete of the year three times, more than any other player, and was named an All-American three times at the University of North Carolina. She was also a member of four NCAA national championship teams at UNC. She won two FIFA Women's World Cup titles, in 1991 and 1999, and was named Most Valuable Player in the 1995 tournament.
Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones played in more than 160 games for the U.S. national team, more than any other American player and was a member of the 1994, 1998 and 2002 national team in the World Cup. He played in the MLS from 1996 to 2007 for the Los Angeles Galaxy. After his playing career ended, Jones became a coach for the Galaxy and later took a front-office position with the New York Cosmos, an expansion franchise hoping to gain entry into the MLS. Jones was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011.
Carli Lloyd
A native of Delran, New Jersey, Lloyd is a member of the U.S. national women's team and former student-athlete with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. In her senior season in 2004, Lloyd was named Big East Midfielder of the Year and was named First Team All-Big East all four years at Rutgers. She ended her college career as the school's all-time leading scorer. Lloyd became a nationally known soccer star in 2008 after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime in the gold-medal match at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. She was also named the 2008 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year.
References
- Soccer-For-Parents: US Soccer History
- ESPN SoccerNet: Landon Donovan
- Women's Soccer World: Mia Hamm
- ESPN Los Angeles; Cobi Jones First-Ballot Hall of Famer; Scott French
- US Soccer Players: Class of 2011: Cobi Jones
- Big Lead Sports: New York Cosmos Nearing Return to MLS, Not Necessarily for the Better
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