The Moment That Inspired the U.S. World Cup Stars
Former USMNT striker Jozy Altidore joins David Greene to relive the goal that led the U.S. to pull off one of the biggest upsets in soccer history
Hey everybody,
We’re back with another edition of The Producer’s Perspective, where our own Sarah McCrory breaks down the latest interview from In the Moment with David Greene. This week is an episode I’m particularly excited about: USMNT legend Jozy Altidore joined David to discuss his role in American soccer’s biggest upset ever, as well as the mindset that this year’s team will have heading to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, kicking off…in less than a week!
If you’re a soccer fan or a fan of In the Moment, I wanted to make sure that you don’t miss the House of Fútbol, the hub for all things World Cup in New York City hosted by ROS from Nov. 29 to Dec. 4. You’ll be able to listen to panel discussions featuring some of the biggest names in soccer, and immerse yourself in the sport like never before. Most exciting (in my humble opinion), we’ll be hosting a live taping of In the Moment featuring USWNT legend Carli Lloyd.
You won’t want to miss it. For more information, and to RSVP to save a spot, click here.
Now, the newsletter is Sarah’s!
-Joe
In the promo videos, on the billboards, and in articles like this one, you’ll see one particular phrase repeated when trying to set the stakes of the upcoming FIFA World Cup: “The world is watching.” When you mix the planet’s most popular game and its most prestigious tournament, you get the brightest spotlight in sports.
…unless you play for America.
At least, that’s what former American striker Jozy Altidore told us on this week’s episode of In the Moment with David Greene. “When you’re playing for the U.S. Men's National Team,” Altidore explained to us, “it kind of feels like nobody’s watching.”
In another country, Altidore would be revered as a conquering hero. There would be murals painted in his honor. Songs written about him. And more than anything, the entire nation would remember the goal he scored against Spain in 2009 at the Confederations Cup. It was a goal that helped the U.S. win their biggest game in national team history—but when we booked Altidore for our podcast, I, for one, never even knew that it had happened.
The Confederations Cup is played one year before the World Cup and consists of the champions of each region of the globe; essentially, it’s an appetizer for the next year’s main event, featuring the kings of Europe, South America, Africa, and so on. The US represented North America and the Caribbean in the tournament, though nobody expected them to go far. Even after the Yanks eked their way into the knockout round, few expected them to do much when they went against Spain in the semi-finals.
You have to understand: at the time, Spain was the greatest team in the world, ranked number one in FIFA’s rankings. Some still consider that Spain side to be the greatest international team ever assembled. Going into that matchup, the Spainards had won 35 straight. They hadn’t allowed a single goal in five games. But for the U.S., the platform provided a chance to prove themselves against the world’s best. And best of all, there were no expectations. “The concentration level goes up even higher,” Altidore told us. “Any team or any player when they play with nothing to lose is a difficult opponent.”
In the 26th minute, Altidore won the ball and fired a shot from the top of the box. It tipped off the keepers hand and…GOAL! As soon as the ball hit the back of the net, Altidore ran to the sideline and ripped off his jersey—even though it was near freezing outside. The celebration earned him a yellow card. “I remember saying to the referee, ‘Thank you,’” Altidore said. “Best yellow card ever.”
The goal stunned Spain. And after Clint Dempsey added another in the second half to make it 2-0, the Yanks completed what even some European outlets call “one of the biggest upsets in football history.”
It’s that type of recognition—even from European reporters—that makes this game so impactful. “It was like a flag bearer moment for us,” Altidore said. “We stuck our flag in the ground. It was a huge moment, a huge indication of where the sport in our country's going.”
That win was not only a huge morale boost for the USMNT—who are almost always written off in any major international tournament—but it was a huge push for the growth of the sport within the United States, as well.
Because do you know who else was watching that game? A young Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Gio Reyna, some of the men who will lead the USMNT to Qatar. “I think it was really significant if you look at what we did and how it continued to develop the game in our country, develop young kids, and make young kids dream.” Altidore told us. “Because I think when you watch those moments [as a kid], and you're at home, you're like, ‘I want to do that.’”
This year’s World Cup squad is one of the youngest in history, which means that perhaps for the first time, the US will field a team full of players who not only think America can beat the best teams in the world. Thanks to Altidore and the 2009 team, they know the U.S. can beat anybody.
And how does Altidore think those kids will do when they kick off next week in Qatar?
“We’re not just there to participate,” he said.
Listen to our full conversation with Jozy Altidore on In the Moment with David Greene on Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
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