FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template

In finishing runners-up to Mexico in the qualifying stage the United States are featuring in their third successive World Cup finals – an achievement more established teams like England and hosts France would be proud to have.

This USA side comprises many familiar faces, not least the flame-haired defender Alexi Lalas, but John Harkes, captain and motivator, has been surprisingly sacked by coach Steve Sampson who onviously failed to come to terms with this strong character.

The Americans can count on an ultra safe pair of hands in goal courtesy of Leicester City’s Kasey Keller, who performed heroics to prevent Brazil scoring in his team’s unlikely 1-0 win against the world champions in the 1998 Gold Cup.

Up front Sampson has the prolific striker Eric Wynalda, America’s all time top scorer who has come far since being sent off in Italy 1990.

Aside from that Brazil win the USA have some eye-catching results in the bank, including a 3-0 victory over Argentina in 1995. The side has come a long way since the days of Bob Gansler’s mishmash of part-timers and students who played in Italy.

The mood in the stars and stripes’ camp is buoyant, helped by a 2-0 defeat of Kuwait in their penultimate warm-up match with goals coming from Ernie Stewart and Tab Ramos playing in only his second match since recovering from injury.

Sampson, who led the national side to the semi-finals in the 1995 Copa America, has gone on record as saying a second round placing is “realistic” but his dream is to get to the quarter-finals.

An opening encounter with Germany promises to be a baptism of fire but according to Sampson: “Against the best teams we play our best soccer”.

The team’s squad has been strengthened with the granting at the eleventh hour of US citizenship for the Karlsruhe defender David Regis, born in Martinique but married to an American.