Jan 28

Jan 28 By the Numbers: The 59 USMNT Games I've Attended

The first U.S. Men's National Team game I attended was in my backyard in 1994, a friendly against Bayern Munich at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

Major League Soccer was still two years from launching, and many of the players hoping to make the 1994 FIFA World Cup team were not even on pro teams. So U.S. Soccer had them train as a team - and those who were pros would join at games. And, the USMNT was still relying on playing professional teams (in addition to national teams) during that era.

I was at Ohio State at the time, so myself and some buddies made the familiar two-hour drive up I-71 to watch our first U.S. game at the home of our Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns. Bayern Munich ended up winning the game 3-2. Check out the highlights.

Obviously the sport and national team are now established. Ever since, I’ve attended now 59 USMNT games, a few times even with a credential. In January 2016, I earned my first ‘caps’ with U.S. Soccer, as I was ‘called in’ to support the communications department during the annual January camp and the accompanying games against Iceland and Canada.

My 59 Caps (as of December 19, 2022):

The USMNT is 27-16-12 (W-L-T) vs national teams with me in attendance. Also 0-3-0 vs three pro club teams, which I’ll leave out in these stats below.
21 World Cup games (4-9-8); 16 World Cup Qualifying (12-3-1); 6 Concacaf Gold Cup / Concacaf Cup (3-2-1); 12 friendlies vs national teams (7-2-3).
Against 31 national teams, the most being Mexico (12 = 7-4-1) and Costa Rica (5 = 2-1-2).
In eight different countries: United States, France, South Korea, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil and Qatar; in nine states plus D.C., the most being Ohio 13 (10-1-1) and New Jersey (2-4-1)
In 38 different stadiums, the most at original Crew Stadiums (9+2) and original Giants Stadium (6).

May 21, 1994: L USA 2 - 3 Bayern Munich; Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH
* June 18, 1994: T USA 1 - 1 Switzerland; Silverdome, Detroit, MI
# Aug. 4, 1995: L USA 1 - 2 Parma (IT); Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ
# Aug. 6, 1995: L USA 2 - 1 Benfica (POR)'; Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ
* June 25, 1998: L USA 0 - 1 Yugoslavia; Nantes, France
June 13, 1999: W USA 1 - 0 Argentina; RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.
^ Oct. 11, 2000: T USA 0 - 0 Costa Rica; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH
^ Feb. 8, 2001: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH
^ Sept. 1, 2001: L USA 2 - 3 Honduras; RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.
April 3, 2002: W USA 1 - 0 Mexico; INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
* June 10, 2002: T USA 1 - 1 South Korea; Daegu WC Stadium, Daegu, South Korea
* June 14, 2002: L USA 1 - 3 Poland; Daejeon WC Stadium, Daejeon, South Korea
* June 17, 2002: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; Jeonju WC Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea
* June 21, 2002: L USA 0 - 1 Germany; Ulsan Munsu Stadium, Ulsan, South Korea
July 6, 2003: W USA 2 - 0 Paraguay; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH
^ June 13, 2004: W USA 3 - 0 Grenada; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH
^ Sept. 4, 2004; W USA 2 - 0 El Salvador; Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
+ July 12, 2005: T USA 0 - 0 Costa Rica; Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
+ July 21, 2005: W USA 2 - 0 Honduras; Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ
+ July 24, 2005: W USA 0 - 0 Panama (USA 3-1 PK); Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ
Aug. 17, 2005: W USA 1 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago; Rentschler Field, Hartford, CT
^ Sept. 3, 2005: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH
Feb. 19, 2006: W USA 4 - 0 Guatemala; Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX, USA
* June 12, 2006: L USA 0 - 3 Czech Republic; Gelsenkirchen, Germany
* June 17, 2006: T USA 1 - 1 Italy; Kaiserlautern, Germany
* June 22, 2006: L USA 1 - 2 Ghana; Nuremberg, Germany
March 28, 2007: T USA 0 - 0 Guatemala; Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX
Feb. 6, 2008: T USA 2 - 2 Mexico; Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
June 8, 2008: T USA 0 - 0 Argentina; Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ
^ Feb. 11, 2009: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH
+ July 26, 2009: L USA 0 - 5 Mexico; Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ
^August 12, 2009: L USA 1 - 2 Mexico; Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, MEX
*June 7, 2010: T USA 1 - 1 England; Royal Bofakeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa
*June 12, 2010: T USA 2 - 2 Slovenia; Ellis Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
*June 16, 2010: W USA 1 - 0 Algeria; Loftus Versveld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa
*June 19, 2010: L USA 1 - 2 Ghana; Royal Bofakeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa
^Sept. 11, 2012: W USA 1 - 0 Jamaica; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH
^March 22, 2013: W USA 1 - 0 Costa Rica; Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
^Sept. 10, 2013: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH
^Oct. 11, 2013: W USA 2 - 0 Jamaica; Sporting Park, Kansas City, KS
*June 16, 2014: W USA 2 - 1 Ghana; Estadio das Dunas, Natal, Brazil
*June 22, 2014: T USA 2 - 2 Portugal; Arena Amazona, Manaus, Brazil
*June 26, 2014: L USA 0 - 1 Germany; Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
*July 1, 2014: L USA 1 - 2 Belgium; Estadio Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil
Sept. 8, 2015: L USA 0 - 4 Brazil; Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
+Oct. 10, 2015: L USA 2 - 3 Mexico; Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Oct. 13, 2015: L USA 0 - 1 Costa Rica; Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
Jan. 31, 2016: W USA 3 -2 Iceland; StubHub Center, Carson, CA.
Feb. 5, 2016: W USA 1 - 0 Canada; StubHub Center, Carson, CA
^ Nov. 11, 2016: L USA 1 - 2 Mexico; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH
^ June 8, 2017: W USA 2 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago; Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
+ July 15, 2017: W USA 3 - 2 Nicaragua; First Energy Stadium (Browns Stadium), Cleveland, OH
^ Oct. 13, 2021: W USA 2 - 1 Costa Rica; New Crew Stadium (lower.com), Columbus, OH
^ Nov. 12, 2021: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
^ Jan. 27, 2022: W USA 1 - 0 El Salvador; New Crew Stadium (lower.com), Columbus, OH
* Nov. 21, 2022: T USA 1-1 Wales; Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Doha, Qatar
* Nov. 25, 2022: T USA 0-0 England; Al Bayt Stadium, Doha, Qatar
* Nov. 29, 2022: W USA 1-0 Iran; Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar
* Dec. 3, 2022: L USA 1-3 Netherlands; Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar