The Atlantic

American Soccer Comes of Age

After decades of playing catch-up, the U.S. men’s team finally emerges as a World Cup contender.
Source: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty

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On June 10, 2002 in Daegu, South Korea, Claudio Reyna led the United States men’s national team onto the pitch to face the World Cup’s host nation. Daegu stadium was a sea of red bandanas, T-shirts, and scarves emblazoned with the nation’s name in Korean—.Two and a half hours away, my family crowded in front of

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