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As the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) gears up for their semi-final clash with Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League, it’s a fitting moment to reflect on the history of the national team. From past to present, certain teams have proven to be thorns in the side of the USMNT, shaping the narrative of their footballing journey.
In the annals of US soccer history, certain opponents stand out as true “bogey” teams, adversaries who seem to have the USMNT’s number no matter the circumstances. Looking back at head-to-head records against teams the US has played at least five times, one can’t help but notice the dominance of some of these rivals.
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Biggest overall bogey team h3d5w
Russia, Brazil, and Italy, though formidable opponents on the global stage, have been particularly challenging for the USMNT over the years. With win percentages hovering around the single digits, these matchups have often been characterized by struggle on the part of the US.
Below is a list of the ten biggest bogey teams to the USMNT
The USMNT are yet to record a single win against Russia, against whom they faced times, obviously resulting in a win % of 0. In those 5 games, the USMNT has a -3 goal difference. The two nations have never faced off in a ‘meaningful’ competition, with all five games being international friendlies. The first game was in 1993, and the latest more than a decade ago, in 2012.
Brazil has also been a tough opponent for the USMNT, only amassing a single win in 19 encounters, resulting in a 5.3% win rate. Just as many other nations going against the Brazilian national team, it’s been tough to stop the offensive prowess of the Brazilian team, resulting in a goal difference of -29 for the USMNT. The sole win came in a CONCACAF Gold Cup game in 1998, beating the Seleção 1-0.
Another tough adversary has been the Italian national team. Gli Azzurri and the USMNT have faced each other on 12 occasions, resulting in a single win for the USMNT, meaning a win rate of 8.3%. The Italians have always been infamous for their defensive abilities and structure, which is apparent in how the USMNT has fared against them. Throughout 12 games, the USMNT has only scored 5 goals, resulting in a goal difference of -28. The sole USMNT win came in a friendly in 2012, beating the Azzurri 1-0.
CONCACAF Nations League Bogey Teams 2f2at
Focusing solely on the teams in this year’s CONCACAF Nations League, in which the USNMT will be facing off against Jamacia in the semi-finals, there aren’t any bogey teams to the same degree.
Here’s a breakdown of how the USMNT has fared against the CONCACAF teams, ranked based on low win %.
The USMNT doesn’t struggle that much against any of the teams in the CONCACAF Nations League, with the lowest win % against any team being 30.3% against Mexico. Mexico is the team the USMNT has faced the most of all teams, going head-to-head on 76 occasions, resulting in a -55 goal difference and a 30.3% win rate.
Surprisingly, it’s Haiti that has caused the second most issues out of the Nations League teams. In 18 matches between the two, the USMNT ‘only’ has a 38.9% win rate.
Considering the semi-final against Jamacia, it shouldn’t be too big of a worry for the USMNT fans. In 32 matchups between the two nations, Jamaica has only won two of them, with the USMNT winning 19 and drawing 10, resulting in a win rate of 59.4% for the Stars and Stripes. The last Jamacia win came back in 2019 when Jamacia won 1-0 in an international friendly. Since then, the USMNT won the following four games, before drawing 1-1 in the last two encounters.
