Spurs And Feathers: Guzan Reminder Gamecocks an Elite Program

June 2, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina men’s soccer has been an elite program for a long time, and every time a major international soccer tournament comes about that fact is made even more profoundly evident.

The South Carolina men’s soccer program is one of only two programs in the entire nation that can boast of having a player on the final 23-man United States World Cup roster in each of the last four World Cups. UCLA is the only other soccer program in the country that can also say this.

In the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan former Gamecock standouts Clint Mathis and Josh Wolff both suited up for the United States National Team. Mathis scored in the United States’ 1-1 group play draw with South Korea in 2002. Wolff assisted on the United States’ opening goal in the second-round victory over rival Mexico in 2002. Wolff was also a member of the United States National Team in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The next World Cup is not until 2018 in Russia, but when that World Cup begins it may just be South Carolina men’s soccer that will be able to say that they have had a player on the final World Cup roster in five straight World Cups as no UCLA players are on the roster for the historic 2016 Copa America Centenario that starts this Friday, June 3.

A Gamecock is definitely on the United States roster for the 2016 Copa America Centenario as Brad Guzan is on the 23-man roster for the prestigious competition. Guzan has been selected to the last two World Cups for the United States in South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014.

Guzan is not just on the roster though as United States head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has tabbed Guzan as the No. 1 United States goalkeeper for the Copa America Centenario, pointing out to the media on May 23 that the “decision went to him because we believe he will continue to be excellent the way he’s done the last two years for the National Team.”

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