U.S. World Cup Update: Americans' Last Chance

Stanley McChrystal isn’t the only one who will learn his fate on Wednesday: The American soccer team has its last chance this World Cup to advance to the final 16 teams Wednesday, when it plays Algeria. A win, or depending on England’s performance against Slovenia, a tie will move the U.S. to the knockout rounds. The Americans missed out on the World Cup for 40 years before returning in 1990, and they’ve had modest success. The team was eliminated in the first round three times (1990, 1998 and 2006), made it to the second round in 1994 and the quarterfinals in 2002. The U.S. has momentum following two come-from-behind ties—one of which would have been a win were it not for a ref’s controversial call. With major teams being knocked out (France), or in danger of being knocked out (England, Germany, Italy, Spain), the U.S. could advance to a wide-open tournament. The U.S. has never played Algeria, which has yet to score a goal this World Cup.