What Happened to the USMNT: The Ugly Truth About the Beautiful Game

A compelling account of the growth of soccer in America and an inside look at what it means to build a supportive and winning culture.

Prior to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team had won just four World Cup matches in 72 years. While the American women's team has made World Cup victories a regular expectation, the men failed to even qualify for the 2018 tournament.

What happened to the USMNT? Columbia Business School adjunct professor and acclaimed author of The Real Madrid Way Steven Mandis turns his lens inward to examine what it will take for the U.S. men to achieve lasting success on the international stage.

This meticulously researched, probing investigation challenges conventional wisdom and speaks to the importance of authenticity to cultivate an organizational identity.

If the Italians have their cantenaccio, the Spanish their tiki-taka, the Dutch their “total football,” and the Brazilians their ginga, Mandis argues that cultivating a unique "American way" of soccer is not only possible but absolutely essential.

One need not be a soccer fan to appreciate Mandis’ breakdown of what the USMNT has done successfully, where it has fallen short, and other successful teams it can emulate.