Sports In America with David Greene
WHYY | PRX Sports in America explores stories that shape athletes and fans alike. Each week, David Greene hosts in-depth conversations with people across the world of sports – from the star who hits the game winner to the millions of us whose lives are touched by the game.
Sports in America explores stories that shape athletes and fans alike. Each week, David Greene hosts in-depth conversations with people across the world of sports – from the star who hits the game winner to the millions of us whose lives are touched by the game.
Why the U.S. Men’s Team Has Never Won the World Cup
The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is in full swing in North America — but unlike the U.S. women’s team, the men’s national team has never won the tournament. They’ve never even made it to the finals. This week, we sit down with ESPN soccer writer Ryan O’Hanlon to figure out why the men’s team always falls short. And with last week’s dominant win against Paraguay, could this year’s World Cup be any different?
Then, we’ll hear from one of the best players that the U.S. men’s national team has ever seen: Jozy Altidore. A son of Haitian immigrants, Jozy is the third-best scorer in the team’s history. We’ll hear how Jozy learned to put the world’s expectations off to the side, and remember his legendary goal that helped the USA beat an undefeated Spain in 2009.
Show Notes
- When the USA stunned super Spain | FIFA
- Jozy Altidore’s best goals, highlights, skills | Major League Soccer
- Jozy’s stanky leg
- 13 Stats that prove USMNT will win the World Cup | ESPN
- The USMNT is a mess. That's the price of the U.S. becoming a 'soccer country' | ESPN
Show Credits
Host: David Greene
Executive Producers: Joan Isabella, Tom Grahsler
Senior Producer: Michael Olcott
Producer: Michaela Winberg
Associate Producer: Bibiana Correa
Talent Booker: Britt Kahn
Engineers: Mike Villers
Tile Art: Bea Walling
Theme Song: Emma Munger
Sports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.