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Blunders in U.S. soccer history
Updated: Thursday February 22, 2001 2:14 PM
Welcome to CNNSI.com's guide to CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. This column hopefully will supply you with enough information, analysis and history that will help you survive over the next nine months. Part one of our never-ending coverage comes under the title of "Heroes and goats and villains, oh my!" Some players you may never have heard of or never played in a World Cup, while others enjoyed that one glorious moment, while yet others used that goal or moment to vault to stardom. And remember, a villain to one side is a hero to another. But a goat is a goat is a goat, although he probably can be considered a hero by the opposition.
GoatsBecause so many of the failures of the fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties were one-sided, it was difficult to single out any one player for a loss. However, a few players wound up making a blunder or two. 1. Arnie Mausser (1986) -- Mausser's misjudgment on a free kick cost the U.S. the lone goal and eliminated the hosts in Costa Rica's 1-0 win in Torrance, Calif. on May 31, 1985, exactly a year to the day Mexico '86 was to kickoff. Jorge Chevez sent a free kick into the penalty area that the goalkeeper tried to punch away. A Costa Rican player, however, headed to the ball to the right side, where Evaristo Coronado knocked it into the net in the 35th minute. "The goalkeeper misjudged the distance," coach Alkis Panagoulias said. "He wanted to punch the ball. He should have caught the ball." 2. Jeff Agoos (1998) -- Actually, within a period of a month Agoos pulled off a pair of blunders that could have left him in soccer infamy if the U.S. hadn't qualified. With the U.S. leading Jamaica, 1-1, on Oct. 3, 1997, Agoos placed an ill-advised pass across the backline. The ball hit the shin of Jamaican forward Paul Hall, then went to Deon Burton, who beat Keller from eight yards in the 51st minute. "I knew he was pressuring me, but I thought I had a clear pass," Agoos said. "it's a speed bump on the way to France." Another speed bump almost occurred during at scoreless tie with Mexico in Mexico City on Nov. 2. That's when Agoos was red-carded by strict referee Javier (The Sheriff) Castrilli of Argentina for elbowing Pavelo Pardo in the 32nd minute. Agoos claimed he was innocent. "I had my back to the goal," he said. "I played the ball to Eric [Wynalda]. Someone, I don't know who, clipped me [on the leg]. I put up my elbow to protect myself. The next thing I know I got a red card. . . . I was shocked when I got it. . . . And I still can't believe it." 3. Kasey Keller (1998) -- As well as Keller has played for his clubs and country, he'll never be able to live this one down. Only 39 seconds into the U.S.-Mexico confrontation on April 20, 1997, defender Alexi Lalas sent a back pass to the usually reliable Keller in the six-yard box. Keller, who did not notice Mexican striker Carlos Hermosillo was lurking some eight yards to his right, tried to clear the ball. The ball bounded off the Mexican's head and into the goal. "I think it got him in the back of his head," Keller said. "He didn't known what hit him. You do that 100 times and it wouldn't happen again. The ball had eyes." 4. Frankie Hejduk (2002) -- As time was running down in regulation, Hejduk, who had replaced Cobi Jones in the 77th minute, knocked down Costa Rican Austin Perry at the top of the penalty area in San Jose, Costa Rica on July 23, 2000. It looked like an obvious penalty kick, but referee Peter Prendergast of Jamaica either didn't see the infraction or thought nothing of it. However, three minutes into stoppage time, defender Gregg Berhalter inadvertently headed a cross off his left arm in the penalty area. This time Prendergast signaled penalty kick and Hernan Medford converted for a controversial 2-1 victory. Many observers felt Prendergast's call on Hejduk was a make-up call. 5. Steve Trittschuh (1990) -- Trittschuh, who still performs for the Tampa Bay Mutiny, had two defensive blunders within a two-week span in April, 1989. He slipped twice in the penalty area, allowing midfielder Gilberto Rhoden to take Evaristo Coronado's pass for the lone goal in a 1-0 win in San Jose, Costa Rica on April 16, 1989. Two weeks later, his hand ball led to a Costa Rican PK in the final minute. Fortunately for Trittschuh, Vanole saved the day.
6. Thomas Dooley and Mike Burns (1998) -- Both defenders made errors that led to goals in a 3-2 defeat to Costa Rica in San Jose on March 23, 1997. Dooley's bad pass, which was intended for Jones, was intercepted by Harold Wallace as Medford scored in the 10th minute. It was the first goal Keller allowed in 562 minutes. With the score tied at 2-2, Burns kicked the ball onto the foot of Ronald Gomez at the near post in the 76th minute. Gomez scored to equalize. "We shouldn't have allowed those gaps in the back. We should have been tighter," Burns said. "With 15 minutes left, that should never have happened." 7. Eddie Lewis (2002) -- Both Arena and Lewis claimed it was a bad call when the U.S. midfielder was given his marching orders by Mexican referee Ulises Rangel in the 65th minute of a match with Guatemala on Sept. 3, 2000. Lewis had elbowed Fabricio Benitez in the face. "I was astounded by it," Lewis said. "I was shielding him from the ball." The U.S. was forced to play the rest of the match a man down. Fortunately for Lewis, his name did not go down in qualifying infamy as McBride scored seven minutes later en route to a 1-0 victory. Special mention to Mexican substitute Nicholas Ramirez, who wasn't listed on the official lineup for his team's 2-2 tie with the U.S. in Foxboro, Mass. on April 20. But he headed a Wynalda cross into his own net in the 74th minute for the final goal of one wild match. Michael Lewis covers soccer for the New York Daily News. He was recently honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in the college division of its writing contest for Life is Beautiful, a column on University of San Francisco coach Steve Negoesco.
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