The Real Mount Rushmore of football in the United States | OneFootball

Many, both at home and abroad, forget that the US took part in the first-ever World Cup.

Though it featured only thirteen nations, the US topped a group that included Paraguay and future European powerhouse Belgium, before being ousted by Argentina in the semi-finals.

It was not long after in 1950, when the United States made waves once again. This time, their group stage performance saw them at the bottom, but not before a famous win against England.

From then on, the US has largely been viewed as a footballing backwater, rightly or wrongly.

However, it cannot be denied that American players are making waves at the very highest level in Europe and elsewhere. In that same light, those opportunities would not be possible with those that blazed a trail before them.

Let’s take a look at four players who, for me, amount to the real Mount Rushmore of football in the United States.

Tim Howard

Working out way backward, you cannot have a legacy discussion regarding the United States in footballing terms without having Tim Howard on this list.

I often disagree with many of his takes as a pundit, but on the pitch, Howard was a standard bearer for the American goalkeepers union that also included the likes of Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller.

With almost 500 combined appearances across stints with Manchester United and Everton and 121 caps for the USMNT, Howard was an elite-level keeper for virtually his entire career. His legacy is undeniable.

Tab Ramos

Though not born in the United States (and not the only player on this list to claim that honor), Tab Ramos was proof positive that US players – native or naturalized – were so much more than one stereotypical profile.

Much of those same stereotypes still exist today; coaches and youth clubs that focus on pace, power, and size, while often foregoing slighter players.

But the technical grace and footballing IQ exhibited by Ramos is a facet of his game that stood out among his contemporaries and remains a player profile that we now continue to produce more regularly.

Cobi Jones

Cobi Jones is an undisputed legend of the United States football community. From becoming the most prominent Black player in our history (and first to reach 100 caps at the time), to his story of going from a walk-on at UCLA to an iconic name in MLS, Jones is the epitome of a trailblazer.

His efforts in shaping the landscape for MLS to continue writing its own story, becoming the all-time caps leader for the US (164), he still never had the success abroad that so many others did.

And yet, the diminutive midfielder from Detroit, a city that is hardly a footballing hotbed, became a torch-bearer for so many players to come who look like him.

Joe Gaetjens

Unless you dig deep into footballing history, you likely would have never heard of Joe Gaetjens. And what a shame that is.

Black and Haitian-born, Gaetjens is part of the United States’ legacy before there truly was one to champion.

The lone goalscorer in the 1-0 win over England during the 1950 World Cup, Gaetjens also starred in the domestic scene for Brookhatten.

His career was a short one on the international stage, but his travels at the club level did land him with now fallen French giant Racing Club de Paris along the way.

One of over 30,000 victims who heartbreakingly lost their lives to the dictatorial regime of François Duvalier, Gaetjens memory lives on.

Honorable mention: Thomas Dooley

The connection between the United States and Germany runs deep, and not just in footballing terms.

The influence of German immigrants on the very fabric of the nation is undeniable, and that too holds true from a sporting perspective.

Many Americans have plied their trade in the Bundesliga, and you will certainly know a few of those names. A select number were also born in Germany and eventually represented the US at the highest level. Thomas Dooley was one of them.

Blazing a trail that would see the likes of Jermain Jones, Julian Green, Fabian Johnson, Alfredo Morales, Timothy Chandler, and the Tillman brothers go on to feature for the Stars and Stripes, Dooley helped to open a door that, in both directions, has been vital to developing the sport in this country