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While the United States is a country that boasts its own uniquely American
sports such as American football, baseball and basketball, its soccer roots date
back to the late 19th century.
In 1885 the USA national football team played Canada (and lost by 0-1),
which was supposedly the first ever international soccer match to be held
outside of the United Kingdom, the official birthplace of modern football.
In 1913 the American Football Association and the American Amateur Football
Association merged to form the country's official soccer governing body, the
United States Football Association (USFA). In 1974 it was renamed the United
States Soccer Federation to alleviate any confusion between itself and the
National Football League (NFL).
The USA national football team played its first World Cup in 1930 in the host
country Uruguay, where one of its star players Bert Patenaude scored three times
against Paraguay, to become the first-ever player to notch up a hat-trick in a
World Cup final.
The United States came third in the entire tournament, to date the country's
best World Cup result. Since then, the USA national football team played in
several World Cups, usually as the underdog. Since the1970's soccer has grown in
popularity in the USA, but is by no means as popular as its domestic sports
Some top USA national football team players include Landon Donovan, Eric Wynalda.
Brian McBride, Joe-Max Moore, Bruce Murray, DaMarcus Beasley, Earnie Stewart,
Jeff Agoos, Marcelo Balboa, Claudio Reyna, Kasey Keller, Eric Wynalda and many
more.
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