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U.S. Men's Soccer in FIFA Top 10 Rankings for first time
CHICAGO (Ticker) - The United States men's national soccer team continues to reach new heights. On Wednesday, the U.S. cracked the Top 10 of the FIFA World Rankings for the first time ever. The American team, which exceeded expectations at the FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan by reaching the quarterfinals, is tied for ninth with European powerhouse Italy. Both countries have 714 points. The U.S. entered the World Cup ranked No. 11 and began the month-long tournament with a stunning 3-2 win over Portugal. "We're honored to have climbed into the top 10 of the FIFA Rankings for the first time in our history," said American coach Bruce Arena. "There's no question that this recognition is representative of the outstanding effort of our team in 2002, where we were able to get the results on the field in winning the Gold Cup and advancing to the final eight at the World Cup. "Hopefully this will serve as another sign of the respect we've been able to bring to U.S. Soccer and the American players playing both in Europe and Major League Soccer." The U.S. has had impressive performances throughout the year, winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup in January and following with its first appearance in the quarterfinals of the World Cup since the tournament expanded to 32 countries. The U.S. narrowly fell to Germany in the quarterfinals, 1-0. Five-time World Cup winner Brazil remained at the top of the 203-country table, followed by South American rival Argentina, which had a poor showing at the World Cup. Spain moved up a spot to third, while disappointing 1998 champion France slipped to fourth. Germany is ranked fifth. The rankings system has undergone a restructuring of the valuation system, with past games having less significant meaning in terms of ranking points. The index value takes into account a team's strength and the number of points gained. The next FIFA World Rankings will be released on September 18.
© 2003 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP
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