Shot heard round the world (football)
| Event | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification - North, Central American and Caribbean zone - final round | ||||||
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| Date | November 19, 1989 | ||||||
| Venue | Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain | ||||||
| Referee | Juan Carlos Loustau (Argentina) | ||||||
Shot heard 'round the world is a term used in reference to one of the most brilliant goals in the USA's soccer history, which made the national team qualify to the 1990 FIFA World Cup after 40 years of being unable to qualify to the World Cup. This fact happened in the qualification game between United States and Trinidad and Tobago on November 19, 1989 in Port of Spain.
American team hadn't qualified to a FIFA World Cup since 1950, and the Americans (having being elected by FIFA in 1988 to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup) wanted to give a good impression to the world of soccer qualifying to the 1990 World Cup.[1]
Before the game
United States has one of the 5 nations competing in the final round of CONCACAF's qualifiers for 2 spots to the World Cup in Italy, being the other involved nations Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador and Trinidad-Tobago. Mexico was disqualified due to a scandal related with the age adulteration for a youth tournament, known as los cachirules.[1] In that time, American team was formed mainly by college and semiprofessional players.[2]
They started losing 1-0 against Costa Rica, after they got revenge winning 1-0, draw 1-1 against Trinidad and Tobago, won 2-1 against Guatemala and won 1-0 against El Salvador. After 2 scoreless draws against Guatemala and El Salvador, the situation of the group was as follows:
| Team | Points | Games played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals for | Goals against | Goal difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Costa Rica |
11 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
 Trinidad and Tobago |
9 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
 United States |
9 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
 Guatemala |
3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | -3 |
 El Salvador |
2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | -6 |
United States needed to win in order to qualify to the World Cup because a loss or a draw would make Trinidad and Tobago qualify. Costa Rica was already qualified to the World Cup.
The game
Was played on November 19, 1989 in the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. The stadium was painted red, as an homage to Soca warriors.[2]
On the first minutes, John Harkes tried unsuccessfully to score. Trinidad and Tobago's Elliot Allen tried twice, unsuccessfully. On 30', Bruce Murray passed the ball to Paul Caligiuri, who dodged a rival defender and with a left-footed shot scored 1-0 for the United States. Trinidadian goalkeeper Michael Maurice waited for the ball practically stand on the goal-line but he couldn't see it arguing that the sun had blind him.[2]
At the second half, Trinidadian team went into attack in order to get a draw, but their efforts were in vain, because American Goalkeeper Tony Meola was able to stop Trinidad and Tobago's options. After the final whistle, USA celebrated the victory while Trinidad and Tobago was left in consternation.[2]
Match details
     Trinidad & Tobago
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United States
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Assistant referees:
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After the game
After game, the group results were as follows:
| Team | Points | Games played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals for | Goals against | Goal difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica |
11 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
| United States |
11 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
9 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Guatemala |
3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | -3 |
| El Salvador |
2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | -6 |
Due to the political situation of El Salvador and to the fact that El Salvador and Guatemala had no chances to qualify to the World Cup, the matches between El Salvador and Guatemala were cancelled.[2]
American press, considering the result, treated Caliguri's goal as "the shot heard 'round the world".[2]
After 40 years of absences from the World Cup, American team qualified to the 1990 FIFA World Cup but its participation in that World Cup was brief. Lost 5-1 against Czechoslovakia, lost 1-0 against hosts Italy and lost 2-1 against Austria.
Trinidad and Tobago suffered a protracted crisis of confidence until their own World Cup dream finally came true in 2005, beating Bahrain in an inter-continental play-off, which made Soca warriors qualify to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Yorke and Latapy (survivors of the qualifying campaign of 1989) were part of that Trinidadian team, which in that World Cup draw against Sweden and lost against England and Paraguay, being eliminated in the first round.[2]