83 days to the World Cup: When Landon Donovan saved the USMNT, and gave the world a call to remember

Yahoo Sports StaffFri, March 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC

0

The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is on! Each day ahead of the tournament’s return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that showcases just how grand the world’s biggest sporting spectacle has become — even beyond the expanded field of this year’s global event.

The task was simple for the United States: win and advance. Lose and go home.

The final group game of the 2010 World Cup saw the U.S. taking on Algeria. After drawing with England and Slovenia in its opening two matches, the USMNT faced an Algeria side coming off its own tie with England.

Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season

The match meant something to Algeria as well as a victory by several goals would have allowed it to advance on goal differential over Slovenia. Both teams went hard for the win, combining for 41 shot attempts, 32 fouls and 14 shots on goal — 10 of those coming from the U.S.

Advertisement

The final two shots on goal came via the U.S. Clint Dempsey’s first attempt was denied, but the rebound was followed up by Landon Donovan. That led to television announcer Ian Darke to utter the now iconic call, “Go, go, USA!” as the entire team dog-piled Donovan in the corner in celebration.

"I think all commentaries are of the moment," Darke told Fox Sports in 2022. "Sometimes when you hear it later on it sounds kind of biased. It felt like the right thing to say in that joyous moment for the USA."

The U.S. would exit the tournament in the Round of 16, losing 2-1 to Ghana after extra time.

2026 World Cup countdown: 100 days of facts, stats and stories (Grant Thomas)

Over a decade later, Donovan and Darke would be reunited as a broadcast pair as part of Fox’s 2022 World Cup coverage.

“Having someone that iconic call a goal that meant so much to me is really special. It actually makes the goal even better than if it was somebody who was brand new and had never [been] heard of,” Donovan told World Soccer Talk. “So, I’m really proud that he was able to experience that too.”

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”