U.s. Soccer

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The United States Soccer Federation (USSF or U.S. Soccer) is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States.

It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, futsal and Paralympic national teams. The USSF is also responsible for sanctioning referees and soccer tournaments for most soccer leagues in the United States.


History
What is now the United States Soccer Federation was originally the US Football Association, formed in 1913 by the merger of the American Football Association and the American Amateur Football Association and became one of the earliest member organizations of FIFA.

The governing body of the sport in the US did not have the word soccer in its name until 1945, when it became the US Soccer Football Association. It did not drop the word football from its name until 1974, when it became the US Soccer Federation.


United States Soccer Federation building on Prairie Avenue in Chicago

The USSF had the honor of hosting the Men's FIFA World Cup in 1994, the Women's World Cup in 1999 and 2003, and the Olympic Games in 1984 and 1996.The women's national team has also had the distinction of winning two Women's World Cups in 1991 and 1999 (placing third in 1995, 2003, and 2007); the Olympic Gold Medal in 1996, 2004, and 2008; and the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup in 2000 and 2002. The US Men's National Team (USMNT) has had a less stellar history.

The USMNT was invited to the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and qualified for the World Cup in 1934, finishing a respectable 3rd in 1930 out of 13 teams participating. The Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991, and the USWNT became the first team to win the prize after beating Norway in the final.

The Women's World Cup demonstrated the high caliber of play in women's soccer. That set the stage for the US to host the men's 1994 FIFA World Cup, the world's biggest sporting event, drawing 94,194 fans to the final game.1998 saw another disappointing addition to the history of US men's soccer as the team finished dead last (on goal difference) among the 32 teams that qualified for the World Cup. This embarrassment, which included total collapse of team chemistry, led to the sacking of the once considered promising head coach Steve Sampson and the hiring of Bruce Arena, who has since gone on to become the most successful USMNT head coach in history.
The next year, the U.S.

During their tournament run, the WNT established a new level of popularity for the women's side of the sport, climaxing with a final against China that drew 90,185 fans—an all-time attendance record for a women's sports event—to a sold-out Rose Bowl. After neither team scored in regulation or extra time, the final went to a penalty shootout, which the WNT won 5-4.

The celebration by Brandi Chastain after she converted the winning penalty, in which she took off her shirt, revealing her sports bra in the process, is one of the most famous images in the history of women's sports.
In 2002 Bruce Arena led a mix of veterans and youth to a quarterfinal appearance after dispatching the then-considered contenders Portugal in the first round and archrivals Mexico in the round of 16 before falling to eventual runners-up Germany in a controversial loss.
Bruce Arena looked to match or surpass that feat in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The team was lead by a handful of youthful talent, namely DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, and Oguchi Onyewu.faced one of the toughest draws with Italy, the Czech Republic and Ghana in the first round. Bob Bradley subsequently became head coach in 2007.
National Training Center
In 2003, U.S.

It is comprised of 15 teams divided into two conferences, East and West.