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Meola made his U.S. National Team debut on June 10, 1988, against Ecuador. Meola’s second cap came in a June 4, 1989 victory over Peru in the Marlboro Cup which won the U.S. the cup. The team took the trophy to the Scots-American Club in Kearny, New Jersey. After the party, Meola drove back to the team’s hotel, dropped the trophy at the front desk and drove home. As he remembers it, “A week later Doug Newman called me up and asked where the cup was. I told him I’d left it at for him at the hotel. . . . I’m sure they got it back. Back then there weren’t too many cups in U.S. Soccer.” Later in the summer, the national team went on a tour of Italy, playing several Serie A teams. At the time, David Vanole was the U.S. starter, but he and Meola had traded goalkeeper duties over the previous month as Vanole fought USSF on a contract dispute and attempted to get his burgeoning weight under control. U.S. coach Bob Gansler intended to start Meola against A.S. Roma, but Meola was injured in a freak accident when a ball struck his head during practice. Vanole started in his place, but let in three weak goals in a 4-3 U.S. victory. Gansler benched Vanole, who never again played for the U.S., and turned toward Meola as his starting keeper. Meola went on to play the remaining U.S. qualifying games for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, including the famous 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago which clinched a spot in the finals for the U.S. He then played every minute in goal for the U.S. in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Meola remained the keeper of choice for the U.S. national team from 1990 through the 1994 FIFA World Cup. At that tournament, his play and ponytail made him a recognizable face around the country. After the U.S. loss to Brazil in the second round of the World Cup, Meola informed the U.S. coach Bora Milutinović that he intended to pursue a professional football career as a placekicker. Milutinović never called Meola back to the U.S. team and it was not until January 1999 that Meola again played for the U.S. By that time, Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel were competing for the starting goalkeeper spot on the team and Meola never regained the first team place he had enjoyed in the early 1990s. However, he continued to play for the U.S. and earned his 100th cap in 2006. He was the third-choice goalkeeper at the 2002 FIFA World Cup behind Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller.

Did you Know?

The United States men’s national soccer team, often referred to as the USMNT, represents the United States in international soccer. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football). The team has appeared in ten FIFA World Cups, including the inaugural edition, where they achieved their best result by reaching the semi-finals, placing third in modern rankings. The United States would go on to participate in the 1934 and 1950 World Cups, winning in a 1–0 upset over England in the latter. After the 1950 World Cup, the U.S. did not qualify for the World Cup again until 1990. The United States hosted the 1994 World Cup, where they advanced to the round of sixteen and lost to Brazil. The team has qualified for all five World Cups held since 1990, becoming one of the tournament’s regular competitors and often advancing to the round of sixteen. The United States reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, where they lost to Germany. Another notable result came during the 2009 Confederations Cup, where they eliminated top-ranked Spain in the semi-finals before losing to Brazil in the final, their only appearance in a FIFA men’s competition final.