Steve Sampson
Encyclopedia
Steve Sampson is a soccer coach and the former head coach of the United States men's national team
and the Los Angeles Galaxy
of Major League Soccer
. By the media, he is nicknamed Uncle Sam
.
, located in Los Altos Hills, California
, in 1975. At Foothill Community he earned All-American honors while playing on the 1976 California junior college state championship team. He then transferred to San Jose State University
in 1977. He graduated from San Jose State in 1979 with a minor in Spanish, which he later used as coach of the Costa Rican national soccer team.
where he earned a masters degree in education from the Stanford University School of Education
. While at Stanford he entered the coaching ranks with the Awalt High School
boys varsity soccer team in Mountain View, California
. Then, after graduating from Stanford, he served as an assistant men's soccer coach at Foothill College. In 1982, UCLA hired Sampson as an assistant men's soccer coach. In 1985, he was on staff when UCLA won the NCAA men's soccer championship.
hired him away from UCLA to serve as their men's soccer head coach. In 1989, he achieved his greatest success as a college coach when he led Santa Clara to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
. Ironically, Santa Clara's opponent in the final was Virginia
, coached by Bruce Arena
who would later succeed Sampson as head coach of the United States men's national soccer team
. Santa Clara and Virginia played even through regular time and four overtimes before NCAA officials stopped the game, much to the frustration of the players and two coaches, and named Santa Clara and Virginia as co-champions. When he left Santa Clara, he had compiled a 64-19-19 record and was named the 1989 NCAA Men's Soccer Coach of the Year.
in 1993 and was on the staff when the U.S. hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup
. In addition to his coaching duties, he served as the Vice President/Competition Management for the World Cup organization.
(USSF) named Sampson as the interim coach in April 1995. But after leading the US to a surprising fourth-place finish at the Copa América 1995
, including a 3-0 romp over Argentina
, as well as a victory over arch-rivals Mexico
in the quarterfinals, Sampson was promoted to full-time national team coach in August 1995.
The U.S. team had developed an amazing cohesion since the 1990 World Cup. The lack of a domestic league had forced the players to play almost entirely for the national team. As a result, they knew each other almost as well as most professional clubs' players do. Sampson's predecessor, Milutinovic, had micro-managed the team. While this led to a high level of tactical awareness, it often stifled the team's creativity. When Sampson became coach he opted to relax the controls on the teams tactics. As a result, the U.S. played with spirit, which showed in the 1995 Copa America and qualifying for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
. The U.S. lost only one match in qualifying. The lack of quality friendly matches leading up to the 1998 World Cup lead to an unrealistically high expectation for the US team. Sampson coached the team to an historic 1-0 victory over Brazil in the 1998 Gold Cup just prior to the World Cup which contributed to the high expectations.
Sampson attempted to improve the team by looking for Americans playing in Europe. David Regis was the most talented of those Sampson brought in but was impacted by delays in gaining his citizenship. Others like Michael Mason and David Wagner did not pan out as Sampson tried to overcome the weaknesses of a young MLS. In a controversial move, Sampson removed then captain, John Harkes
from the squad. Sampson gave a variety of reasons, from Harkes lack of leadership to Harkes wanting a more offensive role. to behavioral issues unbecoming of a national team player. Harkes's leadership was missing in the World Cup and one can only speculate that it must have been a serious infraction for Sampson to make such a move. Working against Sampson were injuries to the U.S.'s primary attacking threat, Eric Wynalda
and creative midfielder Tab Ramos
. The US did not get out of group play in the World Cup prompting Sampson to resign as coach on June 29, 1998. Sampson, however was vindicated 12 years later after it was made public by Eric Wynalda on the Fox Soccer Channel that Harkes had in fact had an affair with Eric's wife, Amy. Many who had criticized Sampson at the time for removing Harkes from the National Team have come forward to express their appreciation for having kept it quiet respecting the involved players' privacy.
In February 2010, Sampson admitted in an Associated Press interview that John Harkes was dropped from the 1998 World Cup because of an affair with Amy Wynalda, the wife of U.S. striker Eric Wynalda. Long rumored as the reason Harkes was dropped, Sampson finally cleared the air after Eric Wynalda confirmed the rumors during a discussion about the situation for the English National team in the run up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
hired Sampson as its head coach. In his first international post he brought Costa Rica a Central American (Uncaf) Championship going undefeated in 2003. Sampson also brought Costa Rica its highest FIFA ranking ever at number 17 in the world in 2004. Sampson qualified the team for the second phase of qualifying. However, he did not survive the qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, and was fired in 2004 after Costa Rica needed away goals
to get past unfancied Cuba
. Sampson returned to the United States and was hired two months later by the Los Angeles Galaxy and subsequently won the "double" in 2005.
, on August 18, 2004. Despite an array of talent, the team was inconsistent the rest of the year and struggled for large stretches of 2005. Many of the players whom Sampson had brought into the team were absent from the Galaxy squad due to national team commitments for the US, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. Sampson was on the hot seat to be fired, but the Galaxy turned it on late, and won the U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup
double, the last as the lowest seed in the playoffs. The Galaxy failed to build on their success in the 2005 season and Sampson was fired on June 6, 2006 after Alexi Lalas
was hired as president.
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. By the media, he is nicknamed Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam is a common national personification of the American government originally used during the War of 1812. He is depicted as a stern elderly man with white hair and a goatee beard...
.
Collegiate career
Sampson attended UCLA briefly before transferring to Foothill Community CollegeFoothill College
Foothill College is a community college located in Los Altos Hills, California and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.-History:...
, located in Los Altos Hills, California
Los Altos Hills, California
Los Altos Hills is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 7,922 at the 2010 census. Located in Silicon Valley, Los Altos Hills is one of the wealthiest cities in the nation.-Strictly residential:...
, in 1975. At Foothill Community he earned All-American honors while playing on the 1976 California junior college state championship team. He then transferred to San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
in 1977. He graduated from San Jose State in 1979 with a minor in Spanish, which he later used as coach of the Costa Rican national soccer team.
Beginning coaching
After graduating from San Jose State, he moved to Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
where he earned a masters degree in education from the Stanford University School of Education
Stanford University School of Education
The Stanford University School of Education , is one of the seven schools of Stanford University. It is the second-oldest school of education in the United States, after NYU...
. While at Stanford he entered the coaching ranks with the Awalt High School
Mountain View High School (Mountain View, California)
Mountain View High School , one of three Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District public high schools, is located in at 3535 Truman Avenue, Mountain View, California, 94040. Mountain View High School serves a diverse student body of over 1750 students from the cities of Mountain View, Los...
boys varsity soccer team in Mountain View, California
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
. Then, after graduating from Stanford, he served as an assistant men's soccer coach at Foothill College. In 1982, UCLA hired Sampson as an assistant men's soccer coach. In 1985, he was on staff when UCLA won the NCAA men's soccer championship.
Santa Clara University
At the end of the 1985 season, Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
hired him away from UCLA to serve as their men's soccer head coach. In 1989, he achieved his greatest success as a college coach when he led Santa Clara to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
The NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
. Ironically, Santa Clara's opponent in the final was Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, coached by Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena is a former coach of the United States men's national soccer team as well as a former professional soccer and lacrosse player...
who would later succeed Sampson as head coach of the United States men's national soccer team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. Santa Clara and Virginia played even through regular time and four overtimes before NCAA officials stopped the game, much to the frustration of the players and two coaches, and named Santa Clara and Virginia as co-champions. When he left Santa Clara, he had compiled a 64-19-19 record and was named the 1989 NCAA Men's Soccer Coach of the Year.
1994 World Cup
After leaving Santa Clara, Sampson became an assistant to Bora Milutinovic on the United States national teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in 1993 and was on the staff when the U.S. hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. In addition to his coaching duties, he served as the Vice President/Competition Management for the World Cup organization.
1995 Copa America
When Bora resigned from the team after the World Cup, the United States Soccer FederationUnited States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
(USSF) named Sampson as the interim coach in April 1995. But after leading the US to a surprising fourth-place finish at the Copa América 1995
Copa América 1995
The 1995 Copa América football tournament was staged in Uruguay. It was won by Uruguay, who beat Brazil 5-3 in the penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the final. All 10 CONMEBOL members took part, with Mexico and the USA invited in order to reach 12 teams....
, including a 3-0 romp over Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, as well as a victory over arch-rivals Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
in the quarterfinals, Sampson was promoted to full-time national team coach in August 1995.
The U.S. team had developed an amazing cohesion since the 1990 World Cup. The lack of a domestic league had forced the players to play almost entirely for the national team. As a result, they knew each other almost as well as most professional clubs' players do. Sampson's predecessor, Milutinovic, had micro-managed the team. While this led to a high level of tactical awareness, it often stifled the team's creativity. When Sampson became coach he opted to relax the controls on the teams tactics. As a result, the U.S. played with spirit, which showed in the 1995 Copa America and qualifying for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. The U.S. lost only one match in qualifying. The lack of quality friendly matches leading up to the 1998 World Cup lead to an unrealistically high expectation for the US team. Sampson coached the team to an historic 1-0 victory over Brazil in the 1998 Gold Cup just prior to the World Cup which contributed to the high expectations.
1998 World Cup
Despite this success, the challenges were many for the United States. Playing the likes of Germany and Yugoslavia were significantly more difficult than in CONCACAF qualifying. Sampson changed the formation in the spring of 1998 to an unusual 3-6-1 arrangement in preparation for the Germany match, trying to counter the quality of the German midfield. A tie against Germany, the reigning European Champions would have been considered an outstanding start to the World Cup. The conservative approach almost worked but was not to be as his team gave up a goal on a corner kick in the first half on a mistake by Mike Burns guarding the post. When Sampson changed the system in the second half his team showed promise but was thwarted by an exceptional strike by Juergen Klinsmann. The team lost 2-0. The second match against Iran showed a spirited team but one that could not find the back of the net. The US Team hit the crossbar and post on five different occasions en route to a 2-1 loss in their most critical match. Counter-attack goals got the best of the USA seeking to overcome the Germany loss and the player unrest after that match. The lone goal came from Brian McBride. After significant personnel changes for the Yugoslavia game, the team lost 1-0.Sampson attempted to improve the team by looking for Americans playing in Europe. David Regis was the most talented of those Sampson brought in but was impacted by delays in gaining his citizenship. Others like Michael Mason and David Wagner did not pan out as Sampson tried to overcome the weaknesses of a young MLS. In a controversial move, Sampson removed then captain, John Harkes
John Harkes
John Harkes is an American former soccer player. Harkes was the first American ever to play in the English Premier League, and the second American to score at Wembley Stadium. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He appeared in two FIFA World Cup tournaments, and won two MLS Cup...
from the squad. Sampson gave a variety of reasons, from Harkes lack of leadership to Harkes wanting a more offensive role. to behavioral issues unbecoming of a national team player. Harkes's leadership was missing in the World Cup and one can only speculate that it must have been a serious infraction for Sampson to make such a move. Working against Sampson were injuries to the U.S.'s primary attacking threat, Eric Wynalda
Eric Wynalda
Eric Boswell Wynalda is a retired American soccer player, and former sports broadcaster. He was the co-host of Fox Football Fone-In on Fox Soccer Channel and is currently employeed as the president of international operations at Mexican third division club Murcielagos.Wynalda scored the first goal...
and creative midfielder Tab Ramos
Tab Ramos
Tabaré Ramos Ricciardi, known as Tab Ramos is a retired U.S. Olympic Team and National Team soccer midfielder. He played professionally for 13 seasons in Spain, Mexico and the United States. Ramos was the first player to sign with Major League Soccer, where he played seven years with the MetroStars...
. The US did not get out of group play in the World Cup prompting Sampson to resign as coach on June 29, 1998. Sampson, however was vindicated 12 years later after it was made public by Eric Wynalda on the Fox Soccer Channel that Harkes had in fact had an affair with Eric's wife, Amy. Many who had criticized Sampson at the time for removing Harkes from the National Team have come forward to express their appreciation for having kept it quiet respecting the involved players' privacy.
In February 2010, Sampson admitted in an Associated Press interview that John Harkes was dropped from the 1998 World Cup because of an affair with Amy Wynalda, the wife of U.S. striker Eric Wynalda. Long rumored as the reason Harkes was dropped, Sampson finally cleared the air after Eric Wynalda confirmed the rumors during a discussion about the situation for the English National team in the run up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Costa Rica national team
In 2002, the Costa Rica national teamCosta Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
hired Sampson as its head coach. In his first international post he brought Costa Rica a Central American (Uncaf) Championship going undefeated in 2003. Sampson also brought Costa Rica its highest FIFA ranking ever at number 17 in the world in 2004. Sampson qualified the team for the second phase of qualifying. However, he did not survive the qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, and was fired in 2004 after Costa Rica needed away goals
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
to get past unfancied Cuba
Cuba national football team
The Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. They are affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....
. Sampson returned to the United States and was hired two months later by the Los Angeles Galaxy and subsequently won the "double" in 2005.
Los Angeles Galaxy
He was hired as the Galaxy coach, replacing Sigi SchmidSigi Schmid
Siegfried "Sigi" Schmid is a German-American soccer coach. Born in Tübingen, West Germany, he moved to the United States with his family when he was a child. He played college soccer from 1972 to 1975 at the University of California, Los Angeles , where he was a starting midfielder in each...
, on August 18, 2004. Despite an array of talent, the team was inconsistent the rest of the year and struggled for large stretches of 2005. Many of the players whom Sampson had brought into the team were absent from the Galaxy squad due to national team commitments for the US, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. Sampson was on the hot seat to be fired, but the Galaxy turned it on late, and won the U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
double, the last as the lowest seed in the playoffs. The Galaxy failed to build on their success in the 2005 season and Sampson was fired on June 6, 2006 after Alexi Lalas
Alexi Lalas
Panayotis Alexander Lalas is a retired American soccer player who played mostly as a defender for the United States national team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup...
was hired as president.