USMNT Vs England: 2010 World Cup draw revisited

Ten years ago, the USMNT earned a famous draw against England in the opening match of the World Cup. Here, we revisit the match, with an English twist.

England are an infuriating national team. Up until the 2018 World Cup in Russia, they have done nothing but fall short and anger a football-mad country. Prior to the 2010 World Cup, this featured a ‘Golden Generation’ that was meant to change the tune of international football. 2010 would be their last opportunity.

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The World Cup was held in South Africa to the nauseating tune of the vuvuzelas, a jarring, endless sound of out of pitch trumpets, similar to that when a wasps’ nest would make should you decide to shake it beyond belief.

This particular World Cup has mixed reviews. For some, it was full of entertainment and spectacular moments that one would hope the biggest football tournament in the world would produce. For the English, they didn’t even get the ball right.

Adidas created the Jabulani. It was beautiful in design and travelled 5% faster than other footballs at the time, but it was also entirely unpredictable. The Jabulani would dance in the air as if it was picked up by tornadoes on its journey around the pitch. It was infuriating. It was mind-blowing. It was an official World Cup football.

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“The ball is dreadful,” England goalkeeper David James said. “It’s horrible. There are undoubtedly going to be goals scored in this tournament which, in previous tournaments with different balls, wouldn’t have been scored.” In the end, that is precisely what happened.

The U.S. Men’s National Team opened their 2010 World Cup against England at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. The stadium filled to its 44,000 capacity and there was a sense of excitement and anticipation for what was to come. England were at the end of their golden generation, a golden generation who, mostly thanks to horrific mismanagement, were bronze than anything else.

To jubilation in England, Gerrard poked home a tidy finish within the first five minutes. But like all English teams of World Cups past, they didn’t even make it until half-time before disappointment came crashing down.

Goalkeeper Robert Green committed the most cardinal of sins. He allowed Clint Dempsey’s hopeful attempt at goal from distance, which should have rolled safely into Green’s hands, to nestle in the bottom left corner. 1-1.

But Green was not to blame, according to his teammates. “No one is pointing a finger at him,” Frank Lampard said. “These balls are moving about.” Dempsey himself ceded that the ball could have played a part. “These balls move everywhere,” he said. “And they’re tough to deal with.” Green took responsibility for his mistake, but the English have never quite forgiven either him or the Jabulani.

The game, other than that, wasn’t so eventful. England didn’t play well. The USMNT held their own and didn’t make it easy either. In some aspects, it was your stereotypical opening tie: a cagey game, with only so much worth remembering.

Amazingly, England made it out of the groups. They were later dumped out of the tournament by the referees when playing Germany. The USMNT, meanwhile, squeezed past Algeria only to then fall to Ghana in the Round of 16.

The USMNT has gone the opposite way to the English national team in recent years. England currently boasts one of the most threatening attacks in world football with a plethora of young superstars breaking through. The U.S., meanwhile, failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and have become increasingly reliant on Christian Pulisic to help carry the team.

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Nevertheless, the USMNT, like England, are building. And through their young emerging players and improving team, the World Cup will again feature the Americans. And when it does, England will be waiting.

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