Twenty-four years ago, a burgeoning USA team competed at the first ever Gold Cup. And they did something they’d never done before – won a major title

The US national team’s foray into the inaugural Gold Cup in 1991 started with an earthquake. That was before the Americans made some earth-shattering news of their own.

The American soccer boys were in the midst of becoming men. The maturing process started in 1989, when the USA, after 40 years in the World Cup desert, booked their first trip to the greatest show on earth. It continued at Italia ‘90, where the college graduates learned valuable lessons, despite losing all three games. They brought those lessons to the fledgling Concacaf tournament in the Los Angeles area a year later.

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The USA demonstrated they had grown up, and even flexed their muscles against Concacaf’s best – Costa Rica, Mexico and Honduras – while stunning many observers by winning the tournament. The team pocketed $100,000 of the $250,000 total prize money, earned respect from the region’s powers, and gained some much-needed self-confidence.

“As much as we try to conquer the world now, that was our first step,” goalkeeper Tony Meola said.

“It was the first time in my time with the national side that we were in a position to be in the driver’s seat, to dominate,” team captain and forward Peter Vermes said.

“It was a big step in becoming not just another team in the Concacaf region, but becoming one of the dominant forces in the region. That was a great feeling. A level of confidence grew within the team. We would begin to win on a regular basis if we kept working on this, creating sort of an aura, which was very important.”

These were exciting times in American soccer. The women had just qualified for the first Women’s World Cup. The country also was preparing to host the 1994 WorldCup.

The men needed experience because they did not want to be embarrassed by failing to reach the second round, so coach Bora Milutinovic was brought in to succeed Bob Gansler. Nicknamed the “miracle worker,” Bora boasted an impressive resumé. He directed the host El Tri to the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup. As an 11th-hour replacement at Italia ‘90, he guided the Costa Rica to the second round, the first Concacaf team to reach the knockout round in Europe.

Milutinovic, who stressed ball possession – “Bora ball ” – also worked on the team’s psyche.

“I thought the way we did, the way we played … pretty patient,” defender Marcelo Balboa said. “I think he worked on the psychological part and made it pretty clear that they put their pants on the same way we do, they put their shoes on the same way we do, and on any given day we can beat anybody. I think that was the mentality that Bora started changing. We beat [Mexico] 2-0. We had control of the game. We slowed the pace down, did a lot of things that Bora wanted us to do.”

Miltutinovic, a Serb who could speak five languages but struggled with his English, found ways to get his message across.

“Everybody was trying to figure everyone out about what Bora really wanted,” said Meola, named MVP of the tournament after helping the USA to three shutouts. “We were in that stage where guys were ready to turn professional for the first time in soccer.”

The Americans’ journey to the top of the Concacaf mountain was highlighted by a frantic trip to their tournament opener to make the kick-off on time, a dramatic comeback, a toppling of a regional power and the first time the dos a cero result became reality, although it was years before that phrase would be emblematic of the Americans’ superiority over Mexico.

Compared to today’s tournament, which boasts 14 venues in as many cities and 26 games over a 20-day period, the first Gold Cup had rather humble beginnings. Eight teams competed (two groups of four) and the entire competition was held southern California. Games alternated between the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

There was no rest for the weary. Teams played every other day; five games in nine days. The USA kicked off the tournament on June 29 and completed their fifth game on July 7.

Translated: after a recovery day, the teams were back on the field playing.

“Soccer was a lot different back then, and so were the guys,” Vermes said. “The way we grew up playing the game was a lot less science and a lot more grit and determination. It was ridiculous that we had to play that way. I would tell you that that from every guy who was there, it was probably one of the last things on our mind because we were so used to it.”

Bora deftly managed the team. Though the USA was facing a 2-1 deficit to Costa Rica, he decided to pull Eric Wynalda, who had set up Vermes’ early goal. The Americans rallied to win.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Hugo Perez (7) of the United States and Juan Carlos Espinoza of Honduras battle for the ball. Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/AP

“I was flying,” Wynalda said, “And Bora came in, he said: ‘It’s a long tournament. You don’t go to play.’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ I was so upset. There was a big smile. ‘You helped your team. Now go be a good team-mate.’ That was just Bora. He managed get that group healthy all the way to the end, which surprised the hell out of me because the games back-to-back were really hard to do.”

There were some unscheduled events. On the day the competition kicked off – Honduras’ 4-2 win over Canada at the Coliseum June 28 – a 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit the LA area, killing two people and injuring about 100.

The next day the Americans almost did not make their opening kickoff against Trinidad & Tobago on time. Their team bus broke down on the way to the hotel, forcing them to take cars and shuttles to the Rose Bowl. The starting 11 was given first priority.

“I drove with three or four other guys with Bora to the stadium in his car, and guys were getting shuttled by the hotel shuttle,” Meola said. “I was thinking: ‘Man, this is not a good start to the tournament, and are we going to get on the field?’ If remember correctly, Concacaf delayed the game.”

The USA certainly delayed its heroics. With five minutes remaining, the USA were staring down a 1-0 deficit after Leonson Lewis put home his own rebound in the 67th minute. Bruce Murray equalized in the 85th minute. Two minutes later Balboa scored the winner with a sensational bicycle kick, bouncing the ball past goalkeeper Michael Maurice.”

We got a little bit of momentum,” Meola said. Their next game was much neater, a 3-0 triumph over Guatemala – the team’s most lopsided victory in 22 matches – before 6,344 spectators at the Rose Bowl. Bruce Murray tallied one goal and assisted on another. Brian Quinn and Wynalda also scored.

The USA had booked a spot in the semi-finals, but needed a win against the Ticos, Milutinovic’s old team, to top Group B. Six minutes in, Wynalda headed in a Vermes cross for 1-0, before the Central Americans stormed back behind by Juan Carlos Arquedas and Claudio Jara. After Hugo Perez converted a penalty kick thanks to a Costa Rican handball, Hector Marchena gave the Americans a gift, kicking the ball into his net in the 59th minute for a 3-2 victory.

Because Mexico wound put finishing second to Honduras in Group A due to goal differential, El Tri faced the USA before 41,103 at the Coliseum after the Hondurans polished off Costa Rica in the first semi-final, 2-0.

The Americans had but a 2-19-4 record v Mexico, winning in 1934 and 1980.

Mexico coach Manuel Lapuente discounted Bora’s influence. “Bora knows Mexico, but Mexico knows Bora,” he said.

But the USA knew how to win. Three minutes into the second half, Perez took a free kick that Balboa headed to John Doyle, who curled the ball into the net for a 1-0 advantage. Vermes put the exclamation point on the upset, beating defender Efrain Herrera one-on-one in the 64th minute.

“There was not a part in that game that we didn’t feel like we weren’t going to win,” Wynalda said. ‘It was a huge turning point in us soccer as far as the team’s mentality was concerned because we really believed in ourselves after that win.”

As the game wore on, an intriguing transformation occurred.

“It was a pro-Mexican crowd, 10-1 probably,” Vermes said. “We’re knocking the ball around. The fans are screaming “Ole!” for us. That was absolutely incredible. Any time you can turn a Mexican crowd and they’re actually ole-ing for us was pretty amazing. Obviously it was pretty embarrassing for them. It was a very memorable moment for me. I said, ‘Here we are.’”

“To be honest with you, we were surprised that we were finally able to do something in Concacaf that we weren’t able to do in a long time,” Balboa said.

Several hours after the game, Lapuente resigned, although some reports had he was fired.

Mexican newspapers had headlines that blared with words such as “failure,” “collapse” and “disaster.”

The tournament, however, was not over. There was more business to take care of on July 7 – the championship game against Honduras. Sparing you the dreadful details, there were 120 minutes of scoreless soccer at the Coliseum before things got rolling in the dreaded shootout.

Not dreaded by Meola.

“I love penalty kicks, man,” he said. “I never played in a game that I was in a penalty kick shootout that I lost. My theory was there wasn’t anybody here who thought you were going to save a penalty kick. For the goalkeeper there’s no pressure. You don’t watch penalty kicks to see if the goalkeeper is going to save it. I’m sure the guy who is operating the scoreboard already has his finger on the button for the goal.”

Not this time.

Balboa converted his attempt, as did the Hondurans’ Juan Castro. 1-1. Vermes smashed his try against the crossbar and Meola denied Marco Antonio Anariba. Still 1-1.

Perez had his penalty saved by goalkeeper Belarmino Rivera and Meola repeated that on Gilberto Yearwood. Still 1-1. Paul Caligiuri put in his for the USA, as did the Honduras’ Eugenio Dolmo Flores. 2-2. In the fifth round, Ted Eck had his kick saved. Antonio Zapata, who could have won the title, skied his chance over the net.

Sudden death.

Rivera stopped Brian Quinn’s shot as did Meola on Luis Enrique Calix. Dominic Kinnear converted in round seven, as did Luis Vallejo for Honduras. Up stepped Fernando Clavijo, a former Major Indoor Soccer League star, who drilled the ball to the left of the diving Rivera to give the USA a 4-3 lead. Juan Carlos Espinoza needed to score, but he lofted his attempt high over the bar and the Americans had secured their first major tournament victory.

“I think, with this win, we will be thought of differently,” Clavijo said at the time. “Now people will pause and say, ‘Well … they’re not that bad.’ I know the South Americans will look at it that way.”

The post-match ceremonies were not as elaborate as today’s but the Americans took a well-earned victory lap around the Coliseum and a giant step forward in establishing themselves as a Concacaf power.

“It was a major confidence-builder,” Vermes said. “It had so many more valuable, long-lasting remnants of just a good memory. What was left was this idea that we could win. It was a great stepping stone into this confidence when you go on the field that the United States team has to be someone you have to respect for.

“We’re not just a bunch of college kids playing soccer any more, like everyone thought we were. It was a major step as an organization, as a national team with the confidence that we have gained from that. It’s been with us ever since.”