1996 marked the birth of Major League Soccer in the United States and also the first time the Summer Olympics were hosted in the United States since Los Angeles in 1984. This time held in Atlanta, Georgia, the 1996 Summer Olympics gave many young U.S. professional soccer players the opportunity to compete at a high level internationally.
Although the U.S. team ultimately failed to reach the quarterfinals of that tournament, they certainly had some good moments, including in their opening match against Argentina, where Claudio Reyna scored just 31 seconds after kickoff, but they lost 3-1 to the eventual silver medalists.
The team then bounced back with a 2–0 win over Tunisia, with goals from Jovan Kirovski and Brian Maisonneuve. To advance to the knockout stage, the United States needed to beat Portugal in their final Group A match, but they ended up drawing 1–1 with Portugal, with Maisonneuve scoring the only goal.
Here's how this group of players used the 1996 tournament to further their careers, both in the early days of MLS and beyond.
Goalkeeper
Kasey Keller – By 1996, the 26-year-old overage Keller had established himself as one of the top goalkeepers for club and country. He played goalkeeper for Millwall (England) before going on to play for Leicester City, Tottenham, Southampton and Fulham in England, Rayo Vallecano in Spain, Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany and finishing his career with the Seattle Sounders in MLS. Keller kept goal 102 times for the United States and appeared in three FIFA World Cups (1990, 1998, 2002). He was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2015.
Chris Snitko – Snitko didn't play at the Olympics as he served as Keller's backup, but went on to have a five-year MLS career with the Kansas City Wizards, Chicago Fire and Dallas Mavericks.
Defender
Alexi Lalas – The 26-year-old Lalas was selected as an overage player with one FIFA World Cup (USA '94) and Summer Olympics (1992) experience. After two seasons with Padova in Italy's Serie A, Lalas played for the New England Revolution at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He later played for the MetroStars and Kansas City Wizards before finishing his playing career with the LA Galaxy in 2003. Lalas, who scored 10 goals in 96 appearances for the US men's national team, is a member of the US Soccer Hall of Fame and currently works as a commentator for FOX Sports.
Matt McKeon – McKeon made U.S. soccer history even before he was selected as the No. 1 pick in MLS' first-ever college draft in 1996 and made the men's Olympic team. After his collegiate career at Saint Louis University, McKeon joined the Kansas City Wizards. He played 144 games for the Wizards from 1996-2002, including a stint with the Colorado Rapids in 1999. He returned to Kansas City in 2000 as part of the MLS Cup-winning team and made two appearances for the national team before retiring after the 2002 season.
Clint P – As a defender with DC United, Pea was part of two MLS Cup winning teams in 1996 and 1997. After a year with the Charleston Battery in the USL, Pea returned to United in 1999 to play for the team that won the league for the third time. He played with DC through the 2000 season before beginning his coaching career and is currently an assistant coach with the New England Revolution.
Brandon Pollard – One of six former University of Virginia players on the team along with Pea, Damian Silvera, A.J. Wood, Bill Walsh and Claudio Reyna, Pollard was selected third overall by the Dallas Burn in the 1996 MLS Draft and played 114 games over five seasons with the team.
Eddie Pope Pope finished just ahead of Pollard in the 1996 MLS Draft, being selected second overall by DC United. His first professional season ended with a flourish, scoring the winning goal in DC United's 1996 MLS Cup. He quickly became one of the league's best center backs and was a key part of the backline for three MLS Cup winning teams (1996, 1997, 1999). He also played for the Metrostars and Real Salt Lake. Before retiring in 2007, Pope had played 254 games, been named to the MLS Best XI four times, and won the 1997 MLS Defender of the Year award. Pope played in 82 international matches for the United States, including appearances at the 1998, 2002, and 2006 FIFA World Cups, scoring eight goals. Pope, who was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011, currently serves as the sporting director for Carolina Core FC (MLS NEXT Pro).
Midfielder
Imad Baba – Selected by the New England Revolution in the second round of the 1996 MLS College Draft, Bava was one of 16 Olympians who began their professional careers in the new league that year. He played 104 games and scored 24 goals for the Revolution from 1996-2002 before finishing his career with the Colorado Rapids. He played once for the senior team in 1999.
Frankie Hejduk – After three years at UCLA under legendary head coach Sigi Schmidt, where he earned All-American honors, Hejduk was selected by the Tampa Bay Mutiny in the seventh round of the 1996 MLS College Draft, giving him the opportunity to compete professionally. Hejduk played three seasons with Tampa, appearing in 57 games and scoring five goals. After a standout performance at the 1998 World Cup, Hejduk signed with Germany's Bayer Leverkusen in 1999. He returned to the United States in 2003 and played eight seasons with the Columbus Crew before finishing his career with the LA Galaxy in 2011. Hejduk played 85 games for the USMNT and also represented his country at the 2000 Olympics and the 2002 World Cup.
Miles Joseph – After a stellar career at Clemson University, Joseph was selected by the MetroStars in the second round of the 1996 MLS SuperDraft. He played five seasons in the league, totaling 11 goals and 22 assists in 96 games. He also played for the Columbus Crew and Dallas Burn before retiring in 2003. Since retiring, he has served as an assistant coach for Real Salt Lake, New York City FC, Orlando City SC and Portland Timbers, and is currently serving as associate head coach for Charlotte FC.
Brian Maisonneuve – Maisonneuve spent his entire nine-year MLS career with one team: the Columbus Crew (1996-2004). The Indiana University star signed with the Crew at the league's inception and played in 172 league games, scoring 23 goals. A reliable force in the midfield, Maisonneuve was a member of the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winning team. A 1999 MLS All-Star, he played for the United States 13 times, including all three games at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Claudio Reyna – One of the greatest players in the history of the U.S. Men's National Team, Reyna wore the number 10 jersey at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He played for Germany's Bayer Leverkusen at the time of the Atlanta Olympics, but also represented the U.S. at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics and was named to the 1994 FIFA World Cup team. At club level, he played for VFL Wolfsburg, Rangers in Scotland, and Sunderland and Manchester City in the English Premier League before returning to the U.S. and finishing his playing career with the New York Red Bulls. Reyna appeared on the FIFA World Cup team four times (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006) and was captain in both the 2002 and 2006 tournaments. He earned 112 caps for the U.S., scoring eight goals and was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.
Damian Silvera – Silvera won three NCAA Division I titles at the University of Virginia before signing with the MetroStars at the start of Major League Soccer's inaugural season in 1996. He then played for the Kansas City Wizards in a trade between the two clubs in 1997. He later coached youth soccer but sadly passed away in 2010.
Rob Smith – Selected by the Columbus Crew in the second round of the 1996 MLS Supplemental Draft, Smith enjoyed a five-year career in the league, appearing in 92 games and scoring four goals before joining the USL's Indiana Blast in 2000. After retiring, he held several coaching and youth soccer positions, including stints with the Ohio South Olympic Development Program and as an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina.
Billy Walsh – Walsh was the only active college player on the 1996 Olympic team and attended the University of Virginia before transferring to Rutgers University in 1997. Walsh was selected in the second round of the 1998 MLS College Draft by the NY/NJ MetroStars and played primarily as a defensive midfielder, appearing in 73 games and scoring 10 goals. Walsh also played for the Chicago Fire before retiring in 2002. He coached at his alma mater, Chatham High School, and Manhattan College.
forward
Jovan Kirovski – At the time of the 1996 Summer Olympics, Kirovski had been playing for Manchester United's youth team since joining the club in 1992 as the club's first US-born player in history. He made his US debut in 1994 at age 18. After the 1996 Olympics, Kirovski's club career included Borussia Dortmund and Fortuna Köln in Germany, Sporting CP in Portugal, Crystal Palace and Birmingham City in England. He returned to the US in 2004 and played in MLS with the LA Galaxy, Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes before retiring in 2011. Kirovski made 62 appearances for the US, scoring nine goals.
Nelson Vargas – The fourth-youngest player ever to make his debut for the U.S. national team, Vargas earned his first cap at the age of 17 years, 39 days in a friendly match in 1991 before being selected to the 1996 Olympic team. After being selected in the 1996 MLS Draft, he played his entire five-year MLS career with Florida, spending 1996 and 1997 with the Tampa Bay Mutiny (20 games, 3 goals) and the following three seasons with the Miami Fusion (54 games, 2 goals) before retiring.
A.J. Wood – Wood played for four NCAA Division I championship teams at the University of Virginia before being selected by the MetroStars in the fifth round of the 1996 MLS College Draft. He went on to play for the Columbus Crew, Chicago Fire and DC United, with whom he won the MLS Cup in 1999. He retired after the 2001 season having appeared in 129 MLS games, scoring 35 goals, and coaching youth soccer.
