The United States' top three goalscorers of all-time
The United States of America will be traveling to Qatar in November to play in their 11th World Cup. They failed to qualify in 2018 and are back in the tournament after eight years. Their best finish at the World Cup came in 1930 when they reached the semi-finals of the tournament. In 2010 they got knocked out in the group stages.
The United States women's team is one of the best in the world and has won the World Cup four times. The men's team has failed to replicate that success because their campaigns have quite often centered around any one star player. The players mentioned in the article all had good individual careers but fell short on the global stage. Despite their shortcomings, they are record holders for their country.
Let's look at the three top goalscorers of the USA men's national team.
#3 Jozy Altidore - 42 goals
In 115 appearances for the national team, Jozy Altidore has scored 42 goals. Altidore began his club career with the New York Red Bulls before Villarreal signed him in 2008. He had different loan spells during his career and even played for Hull City and Sunderland in the Premier League. In 2015 he returned to the MLS and signed for Toronto FC, where he spent six years.
JOZY ALTIDORE WITH THE BICYCLE KICK! 🔥
He scores his 42nd international goal and puts the USMNT out in front 🇺🇸 https://t.co/CVuFexT8Wj
Altidore currently plays for Puebla in Liga MX in Mexico and is on loan from New England Revolution. He won several trophies with Toronto FC, and with the United States, he won the Gold Cup in 2017. A strong and physical striker with pace, he was good at linking up play and combined that with goal-scoring to become a useful striker for teams.
#2 Landon Donovan - 57 goals
Landon Donovan made 157 appearances for the United States and is regarded as one of the country's best-ever players. He began his career at Bayer Leverkusen but spent most of his time on loan at the San Jose Earthquakes. In 2005 he signed for LA Galaxy, and he spent nine years at the club. Due to different schedules, Donovan managed to play on loan for teams like Bayern Munich and Everton.
Who remembers watching this live? ✋😍
Memorable Moment No. 50: Landon Donovan's game-winning goal in stoppage time against Algeria to send the @USMNT to the Round of 16 in the 2010 FIFA World Cup! 🇺🇸 (Sponsored by @qatarairways #QatarAirways) https://t.co/Cn7JoDwKQJ
Donovan won several Gold Cups during his career and dominated the MLS with LA Galaxy playing alongside players like David Beckham. He was a versatile forward who could play across the front three and also in midfield. He was known for his work rate. Injuries took a toll on him during the latter stages of his career, and he retired in 2018.
#1 Clint Dempsey - 57 goals (United States top scorer)
Clint Dempsey has 141 appearances for the national team and has a better goal-per-game ratio than Donovan, which is why he ranks first on this list. Dempsey, along with Donovan, is idolized by fans in the United States. He began his career at New England Revolution before signing for Fulham in 2007. He spent five years in London and reached the Europa League final with the team in 2010.
‘I just thought, what the heck and tried to put in the far post and it went in’
12 years ago today, @clint_dempsey beat Juventus in the Europa League with a moment of magic 🎆
(via @EuropaLeague)
https://t.co/xDGzGwgD1T
He played for Tottenham Hotspur for a season before returning to the MLS to play for the Seattle Sounders, where he retired in 2018. Dempsey was used as a midfielder but could play as an attacker as well. Dempsey was known for scoring wonder goals, and his strike against Juventus is evidence of it. A hard-working player with a fiery character, he was loved by fans of the teams he played for.