Original favorite USMNT player

Who was the first player that caught your eye with the USMNT? For me it was Cobi Jones. His love of the game always seemed to come through in the way he played. He never seems to make any of the all-tme eleven lists bot for me he was an injection of energy and brought everything he had to a match. I only wish he had passed along his secrets of successful hair styling on to Kyle Beckerman.

 

mine would have been Jones, lalas, or balboa. That's who I remember most from 1994.

 

I was a big fan Thomas Dooley and Ernie Stewart, but if I had to only pick one it would be Tony Meola. Even then you could tell the US had a GK that could compete w/the elite at his position.

 

Despite all of the justified love for Ramos, I'm going with McBride. In 90 and 94 I watched the team but didn't really know any of the players, aside from Lalas in 94 because he was marketed. McBride is my favorite and brought me to Fulham.

 

Clinton Drew Dempsey. When I began watching the World Cup with a more critical eye four years ago, there was a play he made against somebody in which he didn't score, but created a chance with a brilliant, tough, physical run up the gut. I knew nothing of our team then except Landon Donovan, but the guy who impressed me most was this tough, wiry Texan who wasn't afraid of phyiscal play, despite his slight stature. I began researching his background and story afterwards and thought, this is the MAN. I still believe that. And he's not the primary reason I'm a Fulham supporter, but I wouldn't know squat about futbol, and probably would not have pursued any further interest in it without being drawn to his style of play.

 

:text-+1:

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

Lol.. all good choices and I won't argue with any of them.

However.. my original favorite US player is none of the above.. and everyone except Don {and maybe, Don, too} will go 'Huh'.

ta-da... Ladies and Gentlemen... I propose ..
Kyle Rote, Jr... fantastic pedigree of name recognition.. every football fan knew who he was and his family lineage.
Yeah the connection to the USMNT is sorta tenuous, but so was everyone else's at that time. Thing is, he played with the best of them in the NASL.