World Cup

The last time the U.S. men’s national soccer team reached the World Cup semi-finals, FDR was president. New coach Bob Bradley hopes to start changing that 74-year streak this month.

If anyone can do it, it’s Bradley. The Major League Soccer Coach of the Year in 2006 won 124 games in his career, a league record. Though he replaced longtime coach Bruce Arena last year, Bradley’s already led the team to victory at last summer’s regional Gold Cup. The first step toward the 2010 World Cup takes place against Barbados on June 15 in Carson, California.

Still, Bradley stresses that it’s not all about him. “Our strength lies in the experience of some of our top players, who have been through the qualifying process before,” he says. “With Timmy Howard in goal, and with centerbacks Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu in front of him, we are strong in the center of the field. Add our attacking players like Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, and Clint Dempsey, and we’re going to try to score enough goals to set the tone for the future.”

Though their hopes are high, the squad has a long slog of qualifying rounds ahead. But that leaves them plenty of time to show us why we should be watching a different football game.

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Because the World Cup is truly an international event—unlike, say, the World Series—it takes years to narrow down the pool of hopeful squads from several hundred to the 32 who qualify. Here’s how the United States’ path looks: After the June 15 game, the U.S. men’s squad will play Barbados again—but this time in the Caribbean nation. The team that racks up the most combined points in the two matches moves on to the next round later this year. The teams that finish in the top three of the division's final qualifying round, to be played throughout 2009, will secure World Cup spots, with the fourth-place team duking it out with a South American division finalist for the final slot. Then, at last, the World Cup will begin in venues across South Africa.

World Cup tournaments happen every four years, like the Olympics. The last World Cup took place in Germany during summer 2006. Italy beat France in a penalty shoot-out. But the most famous moment from the game took place a little earlier, when the captain of the French squad, Zinedine Zidane, head-butted Italy’s Marco Materazzi. Watch the original, then take a gander at these parodies.

Keep tabs on the World Cup and track your favorite teams at the World Cup Blog.

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