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

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).

  1. May 21, 1994: L USA 2 - 3 Bayern Munich; Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH

  2. * June 18, 1994: T USA 1 - 1 Switzerland; Silverdome, Detroit, MI

  3. # Aug. 4, 1995: L USA 1 - 2 Parma (IT); Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ

  4. # Aug. 6, 1995: L USA 2 - 1 Benfica (POR)'; Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ

  5. * June 25, 1998: L USA 0 - 1 Yugoslavia; Nantes, France

  6. June 13, 1999: W USA 1 - 0 Argentina; RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.

  7. ^ Oct. 11, 2000: T USA 0 - 0 Costa Rica; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

  8. ^ Feb. 8, 2001: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

  9. ^ Sept. 1, 2001: L USA 2 - 3 Honduras; RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.

  10. April 3, 2002: W USA 1 - 0 Mexico; INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, CO

  11. * June 10, 2002: T USA 1 - 1 South Korea; Daegu WC Stadium, Daegu, South Korea

  12. * June 14, 2002: L USA 1 - 3 Poland; Daejeon WC Stadium, Daejeon, South Korea

  13. * June 17, 2002: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; Jeonju WC Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea

  14. * June 21, 2002: L USA 0 - 1 Germany; Ulsan Munsu Stadium, Ulsan, South Korea

  15. July 6, 2003: W USA 2 - 0 Paraguay; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

  16. ^ June 13, 2004: W USA 3 - 0 Grenada; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

  17. ^ Sept. 4, 2004; W USA 2 - 0 El Salvador; Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA

  18. + July 12, 2005: T USA 0 - 0 Costa Rica; Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA

  19. + July 21, 2005: W USA 2 - 0 Honduras; Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ

  20. + July 24, 2005: W USA 0 - 0 Panama (USA 3-1 PK); Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ

  21. Aug. 17, 2005: W USA 1 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago; Rentschler Field, Hartford, CT

  22. ^ Sept. 3, 2005: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

  23. Feb. 19, 2006: W USA 4 - 0 Guatemala; Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX, USA

  24. * June 12, 2006: L USA 0 - 3 Czech Republic; Gelsenkirchen, Germany

  25. * June 17, 2006: T USA 1 - 1 Italy; Kaiserlautern, Germany

  26. * June 22, 2006: L USA 1 - 2 Ghana; Nuremberg, Germany

  27. March 28, 2007: T USA 0 - 0 Guatemala; Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX

  28. Feb. 6, 2008: T USA 2 - 2 Mexico; Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX

  29. June 8, 2008: T USA 0 - 0 Argentina; Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ

  30. ^ Feb. 11, 2009: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

  31. + July 26, 2009: L USA 0 - 5 Mexico; Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ

  32. ^August 12, 2009: L USA 1 - 2 Mexico; Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, MEX

  33. *June 7, 2010: T USA 1 - 1 England; Royal Bofakeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa

  34. *June 12, 2010: T USA 2 - 2 Slovenia; Ellis Park, Johannesburg, South Africa

  35. *June 16, 2010: W USA 1 - 0 Algeria; Loftus Versveld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa

  36. *June 19, 2010: L USA 1 - 2 Ghana; Royal Bofakeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa

  37. ^Sept. 11, 2012: W USA 1 - 0 Jamaica; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

  38. ^March 22, 2013: W USA 1 - 0 Costa Rica; Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

  39. ^Sept. 10, 2013: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

  40. ^Oct. 11, 2013: W USA 2 - 0 Jamaica; Sporting Park, Kansas City, KS

  41. *June 16, 2014: W USA 2 - 1 Ghana; Estadio das Dunas, Natal, Brazil

  42. *June 22, 2014: T USA 2 - 2 Portugal; Arena Amazona, Manaus, Brazil

  43. *June 26, 2014: L USA 0 - 1 Germany; Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil

  44. *July 1, 2014: L USA 1 - 2 Belgium; Estadio Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil

  45. Sept. 8, 2015: L USA 0 - 4 Brazil; Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA

  46. +Oct. 10, 2015: L USA 2 - 3 Mexico; Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA

  47. Oct. 13, 2015: L USA 0 - 1 Costa Rica; Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ

  48. Jan. 31, 2016: W USA 3 -2 Iceland; StubHub Center, Carson, CA.

  49. Feb. 5, 2016: W USA 1 - 0 Canada; StubHub Center, Carson, CA

  50. ^ Nov. 11, 2016: L USA 1 - 2 Mexico; Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

  51. ^ June 8, 2017: W USA 2 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago; Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

  52. + July 15, 2017: W USA 3 - 2 Nicaragua; First Energy Stadium (Browns Stadium), Cleveland, OH

  53. ^ Oct. 13, 2021: W USA 2 - 1 Costa Rica; New Crew Stadium (lower.com), Columbus, OH

  54. ^ Nov. 12, 2021: W USA 2 - 0 Mexico; TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

  55. ^ Jan. 27, 2022: W USA 1 - 0 El Salvador; New Crew Stadium (lower.com), Columbus, OH

  56. * Nov. 21, 2022: T USA 1-1 Wales; Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Doha, Qatar

  57. * Nov. 25, 2022: T USA 0-0 England; Al Bayt Stadium, Doha, Qatar

  58. * Nov. 29, 2022: W USA 1-0 Iran; Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar

  59. * Dec. 3, 2022: L USA 1-3 Netherlands; Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar

 * = World Cup  |  ^ = World Cup Qualifier  |  + = Gold Cup | # = Parmalat Cup | unmarked = friendly     

The Games I saw at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

The Games I saw at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

There is a Tony Soprano Statue in Vilnius, Lithuania

There is a Tony Soprano Statue in Vilnius, Lithuania