U.S. to Face Mexico, Guatemala in 1999 NIKE U.S. Cup
CHICAGO (Thursday, January 21, 1999) - U.S. Soccer announced today that the sixth Nike U.S. Cup, the most prestigious annual men's event conducted by the U.S. Soccer Federation, will take place as doubleheaders on March 11 and 13 in Los Angeles and San Diego, respectively. The three teams join
Jan. 21, 1999
The U.S. National Team will open the 1999 Nike U.S. Cup against first-time participant Guatemala at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Thursday, March 11 at 5:30 p.m. (PT), with Bolivia facing off against Mexico in the second match at 8 p.m. (PT). The USA-Guatemala match at 5:30 p.m. (PT) will be televised live by ESPN.
The U.S. squad will then face two-time defending U.S. Cup champion Mexico at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif., at 12:30 p.m. (PT) live on ABC. The second part of the doubleheader pits Bolivia against Guatemala at 3 p.m. (PT).
In a change from the previous five tournaments, each of the four teams will play two games as part of two doubleheaders, rather than playing three separate games, with the champion being decided first by total points (3 for a win, 1 for a draw), then head-to-head competition and then goal differential.
For ticket information on the 1999 Nike U.S. Cup, fans in Los Angeles can call 213-413- 3951 and fans in San Diego can 619-460-7612.
Mexico won the last two U.S. Cup tournaments in 1996 and 1997 with a combined record of 3-0-3. One of those draws came in a 2-2 match against border rival USA in front of 92,216 fans at the Rose Bowl on June 16, 1996, that provided a dramatic end to the tournament and provided Mexico the first of their two titles. [Since the U.S. Cup is not held in World Cup years, there was no U.S. Cup in 1998.]
The U.S. National Team holds a 6-6-3 all-time record in the U.S. Cup, with its best finish coming in 1995. With a field that included World Cup '94 participants Colombia, Nigeria and Mexico, the USA won the championship with a 2-0-1 record and an impressive seven goals. After a tough 3-2 comeback victory against Nigeria in the opener, the U.S. returned to the pitch seven days later to blast Mexico 4-0 in front of a crowd of 38,615 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The nationally televised match still stands as the USA's most lopsided victory ever against Mexico. The last game, a rematch of the USA's emotional 2-1 World Cup victory over Colombia, resulted in a 0-0 tie after Mike Burns leaped from his goal line to head away what would have been a tournament-winning goal by Colombia in the final minute of play.
Another memorable U.S. Cup moment for the home side occurred in 1993, when the then two-year-old tournament yielded its greatest field yet. Seen as a prelude to the '94 World Cup, U.S. Cup '93 featured a star-studded lineup that included England, Brazil and Germany. In what became a tournament of firsts, the USA defeated England 2-0 for the first time since 1950. The following 4-3 loss to Germany marked the first time network TV (in this case, ABC) conducted a national television broadcast without commercial interruption of game action.
The United States claimed the inaugural U.S. Cup title in 1992 after impressive victories over Ireland (3-1) and Portugal (1-0) and a critical 1-1 draw with three-time world champion Italy in Chicago on June 6.
The complete schedule for the 1999 U.S. Cup is listed below.
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| Date | Opponents | Stadium | Kickoff / TV | Ticket Info |
| March 11 | U.S. vs. Guatemala | Memorial Coliseum
(Los Angeles, Calif.) |
5:30 p.m. PT / ESPN | 213-413-3951
(for ticket info) |
| March 11 | Mexico vs.Bolivia | Memorial Coliseum
(Los Angeles, Calif.) |
8 p.m. PT / None | 213-413-3951
(for ticket info) |
| March 13 | U.S. vs. Mexico | Qualcomm Stadium
(San Diego , Calif.) |
12:30 p.m. PT / ABC | 619-460-7612
(for ticket info) |
| March 13 | Guatemala vs. Bolivia | Qualcomm Stadium
(San Diego, Calif.) |
3 p.m. PT / None | 619-460-7612
(for ticket info) |
| U.S. CUP HISTORY | |||
| Year | Champion | Other Participants
(in order of finish) |
Venues |
| 1992 | United States | Italy, Ireland, Portugal | Foxboro, RFK, Soldier Field, Yale Bowl |
| 1993 | Germany | Brazil, USA, England | Foxboro, RFK, Soldier Field, Yale Bowl |
| 1995 | United States | Colombia, Mexico, Nigeria | Cotton Bowl, Foxboro, Rutgers, RFK |
| 1996 | Mexico | Ireland, USA, Bolivia | Cotton Bowl, Foxboro, Giants, RFK, Rose Bowl |
| 1997 | Mexico | Denmark, Peru, USA | Qualcomm Stadium, Rose Bowl |
| 1999 | - | - | Los Angeles Coliseum, Qualcomm Stadium |
| U.S. CUP ALL-TIME ATTENDANCE | |||
| Year | Games | Average | Total |
| 1992 | 6 games | 31,305 | 187,829 |
| 1993 | 6 games | 47,794 | 286,761 |
| 1995 | 6 games | 26,189 | 157,133 |
| 1996 | 6 games | 33,002 | 198,013 |
| 1997 | 6 games | 28,100 | 168,598 |
| 1999 | 4 games | -. | .-. |
| TOTAL | 30 GAMES | 33,728 | 998,334 |
