The Game Date: September 10‑18 Gold: USSR The first FIVB World Championship in history included teams only from Europe, with six teams from the east and four from the west (among the latter, sixth‑placed France did the best). Czechoslovakia failed to repeat its success of the year before at the Continental Championship in Rome and were foiled in the decisive match by the Soviets on their first international outing. The USSR campaign was all‑conquering: in the elimination round they powered past Belgium, Romania and Hungary, and the in the final round they shut out Poland, Bulgaria and France in straight sets. They gave up two sets throughout ï¿½ one each to Romania and Czechoslovakia. USSR 1952 Date: August 17‑29 Gold: USSR India and Lebanon provided an international touch for a World Championship that otherwise retained its European flavour. On the courts of the Dynamo club, thronged by approximately 25,000 spectators each day, USSR won more effortlessly than expected. The hosts played eight matches in the August finals and managed not to lose a single set.

France 1956 Date: August 30 to September 12 Gold: Czechoslovakia This time the formula was revised, with the elimination phase divided into two‑ or three‑team rounds. Hosts France were the only Western Europe representative to qualify for the 10‑team finals, won by Czechoslovakia with no defeats. USSR finished third, having to swallow their first two World Championship defeats at the hands of the Czechs and silver‑medallists Romania. Brazil 1960 Final city: Rio de Janeiro Date October 28 to November 14 Gold: USSR Seven teams from the Americas, six from Europe and one from Asia (India, Mexico and Dominican Republic withdrew at the last minute) participated in the first World Championship played on nonï¿½-European soil. Once again USSR claimed gold, sweeping the final round. Third was Romania, while Poland earned their third fourth place in four editions. For the home team, there was the satisfaction of the fifth place. Newcomers Japan placed eighth in the finals. USSR 1962 Date.

October 13‑26 Gold: USSR A total of 15 five‑set matches in a total of 40 matches in the October 13‑26 final round gives an idea of the great balance between teams that characterized the second Soviet edition of the Men's World Championship. As had happened in 1952, USSR and Czechoslovakia again took the first two places, with Romania grabbing third from Bulgaria, meaning the same 1‑2‑3 rankings as in Rio in 1960. Czechoslovakia 1966 Date: August 30 to September 11 Gold: Czechoslovakia Once again it was Czechoslovakia who kept the Soviets from making it a third consecutive victory. Even after losing 3‑2 against the Japanese (who also beat USSR and set a record of six five‑set matches out of seven played in the final round) the Czechs managed to finish top of the tree with Romania second and USSR third. Notable was the fact that only six out 28 matches in the decisive round ended 3‑0.

Bulgaria 1970 Date: September 20 to October 2 Gold: East Germany This FIVB World Championship was loaded with surprises: for the first time, USSR (sixth and Czechoslovakia (fourth) were excluded from the medals, Japan was the first non‑European team to reach the podium (third) and Bulgaria led the standings right up to the second‑to‑last day before giving way to East Germany in a dramatic match lasting over two and a half hours during which the Germans miraculously came back from 13‑5 behind in the fifth set to win 15‑13. Mexico 1974 Date: October 12‑28 Gold: Poland Poland took home their first world title after three stunning five‑set victories over East Germany, Czechoslovakia and USSR plus a tight 3‑1 victory over Japan. For the Soviets, incredibly enough, it was their third straight disappointment. Japan claimed another bronze medal and for the first time Cuba could be counted among the best with an eighth‑placed finish in the October 12‑28 final round.

Italy 1978 Date: September 20 to October 1 Gold: USSR The USSR claimed their first World Championship gold in 16 years while Poland plummeted to eighth and Japan 11th in the September 9 to October 1 final round. Cuba and South Korea (third and fourth) played starring roles but the biggest surprise in this finely organised and promoted tournament was the emergence of Italy who, cheered on by 18,000 fans at Rome's PalaCur, gave a masterclass in their 3‑1 semi‑final victory over Cuba to finish in second place. It was a fantastic achievement by Head Coach Carmelo Pittera's men and secured a place for Volleyball in the heart of the Italian public. Argentina 1982 Date: October 2‑15 Gold: USSR The USSR success story continued as they claimed their sixth world title in the October 2‑15 final round. The Soviets were superb and an ambitious Brazilian side, who finished with silver, were humbled when the Europeans allowed them only 12 points to the Soviets' 45.

Hosts Argentina surprised everybody with the bronze medal but Italy, revelations in Rome, tumbled from second to 14th. France 1986 Date: September 24 to October 5 Gold: USA USA claimed their first World Championship gold with victory over USSR in the final, having lost to the Soviets four days earlier in a second‑phase match. The world title left the confines of Eastern Europe for the first time with the Americans, led by legend Karch Kiraly, rewarded for their combative and determined style. Bulgaria stood out as they claimed bronze but France disappointed with a sixth‑placed finish having invested a lot of time in preparations for the final round. Brazil 1990 Final city: Rio de Janeiro Date: October 18‑28 Gold: Italy Head Coach Julio Velasco's Italy, reigning European champions and runners‑up at the 1989 FIVB World Cup, won the gold medal despite a slow start.

Andrea Luchetta and his team‑mates lost 3‑0 to Cuba in the first phase of the October 18‑28 event but then let loose by eliminating, one‑by‑one, Czechoslovakia, Argentina and Brazil in the semi‑finals on a 15‑13 tie‑break before exacting revenge on Cuba in the final. USSR had to be content with bronze. Greece 1994 Date: September 29 to October 8 Gold: Italy Italy made up for the disappointment of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 where they went out in the quarter‑finals by retaining their world title at the Athens extravaganza. The team led by Lorenzo Bernardi gathered momentum as the final round progressed, advancing from the elimination round despite a loss to Japan, easily beating the host Greeks and notching successive 3‑1 victories over Russia, Cuba and then the Netherlands in the final. Joop Alberda's Dutch team had beaten USA in the semi‑finals, with the Americans settling for the bronze medal. Russia finished seventh, their worst World Championship performance up to 1994.

Japan 1998 Date: November 13‑29 Gold: Italy The first Men's World Championship in Japan saw Italy complete their hat trick of titles led by Head Coach Bebeto de Freitas. The Italians beat Yugoslavia in straight sets in the final, while Cuba claimed bronze with a four‑set win over Brazil. Spain may have finished eighth but the star of the tournament was Rafael Pascual, who claimed the Most Valuable Player and Best Scorer awards. It may have been a Tokyo final but this was a truly country‑wide final round with matches played in Fukuoka, Kobe, Sendai, Sapporo, Kawasaki, Uozu, Hiroshima, Osaka, Chiba and Hamamatsu. Date: November 17 to December 3 Gold: Brazil The 2002 world champions Brazil defended their crown with an awesome display of power and precision and brushed aside Poland in the Tokyo final. The Brazilians won 25‑12, 25‑22, 25‑17 and had their fans dancing in the aisles of Yoyogi National Stadium's No. 1 Gymnasium long before the victory was complete.

The eighth‑ranked Poles had dazzled throughout the November 17 to December 3 finals, but found World No. 1 Brazil too strong in all departments. Brazil's talisman Giba won the Most Valuable Player award. The Matey Kaziyski‑led Bulgarians claimed bronze. Date: September 23 to October 10 Gold: ? The 2010 FIVB Men's World Championship finals are in Italy from September 23 to October 10. The 10 host cities for the Men's 2010 World Championship finals in Italy are set to be Ancona, Reggio Calabria, Catania, Florence, Rome, Milan, Turin, Verona, Modena, Trieste. A total of 114 registered teams are taking part. Poland 2014 The FIVB has agreed that the 2014 FIVB Men's World Championship will be held in Poland.

FIVB WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS FINALS USSR 1952 Date: August 1‑29 Gold: USSR The Soviet women, who for three consecutive years had won the European Championships, had no difficulty dominating this first Women's World Championship, which boiled down to a European contest aside from the Indian team. Poland claimed the silver medal and Czechoslovakia bronze at the finals. France 1956 Date: August 30 to September 12 Gold: USSR It was sweet revenge for the Soviets who crushed 1955 European champion Czechoslovakia and went on to overturn a two‑set deficit against Romania to claim gold. The Romanians had to settle for the silver and Poland bronze, the Polish edging Czechoslovakia thanks to a better set quotient. Countries from outside of Europe competing in the August 30 to September 12 finals were China, North Korea and USA. Brazil 1960 Final city: Rio de Janeiro Date: October 28 to November 15 Gold: USSR This time the European teams were in a minority for the first time with only four teams from Europe in the 10‑strong field.

USSR's third straight world title was again earned without defeat, although Poland came close to beating them by leading 1‑0 and 2‑1. Japan took the silver medal and Czechoslovakia returned to the podium with a bronze. USSR 1962 Date: October 13‑26 Gold: Japan Japan brought USSR to their knees in their home city with an exhibition of agility and speed that surprised the Soviets, who were still accustomed to old schemes. Poland claimed the bronze, beating the best of the rest of Eastern Europe, but it was Japan Head Coach Hirofumi Daimatsu's charges who lit up the October 13‑26 finals with a futuristic brand of Volleyball. Japan 1967 Date: January 27‑29 Gold: Japan With Lima withdrawing as organiser in 1966, Japan picked up the pieces a year later. Unfortunately, the communist bloc teams en masse forfeited, reducing the finals to a four‑way event won by the hosts with little difficulty. Silver went to USA and bronze to debutantes South Korea, while the Peruvians were the other finisher.

Bulgaria 1970 Date: September 22 to October 2 Gold: USSR USSR racked up a number of 3‑0 victories on the way to gold but spoiled their chance of a clean sweep by giving up a set to great rivals Japan, who placed second in the September 22 to October 2 finals. North Korea matched their Southern counterparts' achievements of four years before by claiming bronze, thanks to a five‑set win over Hungary, who finished fourth with an inferior set quotient. The fourth‑ to 10th‑placed finishers were all East European apart from Cuba in eighth. Mexico 1974 Date: October 12‑28 Gold: Japan Japan and USSR were still too strong for the rest. The finals brought to the fore a brand new Japanese line‑up that rekindled the success story of the 1960s that had been interrupted by the Soviets' world title in 1970 and Olympic triumph in 1972. Japan easily beat USSR 3‑0 to sort out the first two places and for the third straight time the bronze stayed in Korea but changed hands from North Korea (who withdrew from the finals) to South Korea.

Teams from the Americas (Cuba, Peru, Mexico, Canada, USA) improved and all played in the round for seventh to 12th place. USSR 1978 Date: August 25 to September 7 Gold: Cuba The Americas came on strong as Cuba earned the gold, while USA placed fifth and Brazil seventh. It was bad news for Europe, though. USSR may have claimed bronze but the highest European team after them was East Germany in eighth. The Asian teams held up well with Japan finishing second and an emerging China placing sixth. Peru 1982 Date: September 12‑25 Gold: China In the space of just four years, the world rankings had been turned completely around. In Lima, the top three places went to China (defeated at the start by United States but then terrific against all‑comers), Peru and USA ï¿½ all three teams big revelations in this surprise‑filled tournament. Much of the 1980s was to belong to the Chinese and the great Ping Lang, probably Volleyball's first superstar.

Czech Republic 1986 Date: September 2‑13 Gold: China Even without Ping Lang, on the bench assisting Head Coach Shang Rongfang, China did not have too much trouble repeating their Lima triumph. In the final, they beat a young Cuban team, who paid the price for the below‑par condition of star Mireya Luis, who had given birth just a month before the start of the tournament. Peru were third. Brazil 1990 Final city: Rio de Janeiro Date: August 22 to September 1 Gold: USSR Twenty years on from their last world gold, USSR returned to the top of the podium. Led by Most Valuable Player Irina Parkhorritchuk, the Soviets allowed themselves only one moment of distraction (a 3‑0 loss in the match against China) before racing towards their final triumph, beating China in four sets. USA took the bronze ahead of the highly rated Cuba. The rest of the 1990s, though would belong to Cuba, who inspired by the likes of Regla Torres and Mireya Luis, would win three Olympic gold medals and the last two World Championship titles.

Brazil 1994 Date: October 21‑30 Gold: Cuba Six perfect matches, all won in three sets, earned Cuba the title of world champions for the second time. With Mireya Luis, Regia Torres, Regia Bell, Magaly Carvajal, Marienys Costa and Lilian Izquierdo regularly on court, Head Coach Eugenio George brought to Brazil perhaps the strongest team in the history of women's Volleyball. There was no hope even for the excellent home team, overwhelmed in the final after a gruelling 3‑2 semi‑final victory over Russia (who claimed the bronze ahead of South Korea). Behind the first four were the excellent Germans. Japan 1998 Date: November 3‑12 Gold: Cuba Led by Most Valuable Player Regia Torres, Cuba retained their world title in Japan. Head Coach Antonio Perdomo's charges won every match, against USA, Bulgaria, Italy, South Korea, China, Brazil in the semi‑finals and China again in the final. Russia downed Brazil in the bronze‑medal match.

The finals were spread throughout Japan, with matches in Tokyo, Tokuyama, Matsumoto, Kagoshima, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Osaka. Date: August 30 to September 15 Gold: Italy Italy rewrote the history books and took home the title by defeating USA in a fine climax to a fine tournament. It was their best‑ever performance in an international competition. Teams such as Germany, Greece and Puerto Rico surprised pundits by swooping into the second round, but most of all it was the final between the two unexpected candidates which launched a new era for women's Volleyball. Enthusiastic spectators flocked to the stadiums in record‑breaking numbers, with 285,120 spectators watching matches in the host cities of Mï¿½nster, Schwerin Dresden, Riesa, Leipzig, Bremen, Stuttgart and Berlin. Russia claimed third place.

Date: October 31 to November 16 Gold: Russia Led by brilliant trio Liubov "Sokolova" Shashkova, Ekaterina Gamova and Elena Godina and with Italian Head Coach Giovanni Caprara at the helm, Russia claimed their sixth world crown and first since 1990 by denying Brazil their first world title in a close five‑set final. Russia had extinguished Italy's dreams of a repeat final appearance in the semi‑finals with a 3‑0 sweep but the gold‑medal match was a much closer affair, with the tie‑break going Russia's way 15‑13. Serbia‑Montenegro claimed a surprise bronze by sweeping Italy in the third‑place playoff. U.S. Soccer Timeline - U.S. Soccer U.S. Soccer Timeline 1620 American folklore asserts that Pilgrim Fathers, upon settling at Plymouth Rock found American Indians along the Massachusetts coast playing a form of soccer. The Indians called it “Pasuckquakkohowog,” which means “they gather to play football.” 1820 Many American colleges played soccer, but there was no intercollegiate competition. Rules were casual and changed often.

1862 The Oneidas of Boston, the first organized soccer club in America, was formed by Gerritt Miller Smith. The Oneidas were undefeated from 1862-65. A monument now stands in Boston Common, where the Oneidas played their home matches. 1865-1876 Soccer was initiated as an organized college sport in the USA in the years following the Civil War. Princeton and Rutgers Universities engaged in the first intercollegiate soccer match Nov. 6, 1876, in New Brunswick, N.J. Rutgers won the match 6-4. The game was more similar to both rugby and soccer than gridiron football. 1876-1880 Thousands of British immigrants arrived in the metropolitan areas of the East, Midwest and Pacific Coast. Communities with textile mills, shipyards, quarries or mines also had soccer teams among its immigrant population, a pattern occurring all over the world during the time of the Industrial Revolution.

1884 The American Football Association was organized in Newark, N.J., uniting the numerous metropolitan area enclaves of the East to maintain uniformity in the interpretation of rules and provide an orderly and stable growth of soccer in America. 1885-1886 The U..S. and Canada played a game a year against each other, representing the first “international” soccer games to take place outside the British Isles. 1904 The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was formed in Paris on May 21. Charter members included: France, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The International Board, the authority over the rules and their interpretation continued under the jurisdiction of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, even though they were not affiliated with FIFA. The Olympic Games of 1904 in St. Louis included soccer as an official Olympic sport where club teams competed under the national team banner. FIFA did not become active in Olympic soccer until 1908. 1913 FIFA became a member of the International Board, increasing their influence on the interpretation of rules. The U.S. Football Association (USFA) was granted provisional membership by FIFA on Aug.

15. 1914 The USFA was incorporated under the laws of the state of New York, May 30, and was granted full membership in FIFA at the annual congress at Oslo, Norway, June 24. 1916 The first USFA Men's National Team traveled to Norway and Sweden. The Americans played six matches on this tour, finishing 3-1-2. 1919 Bethlehem (Pa.) Steel became the first American professional team to play in Europe when they toured Sweden. 1921 The original American Professional Soccer League (APSL) began. Franchises were granted to Fall River, Mass.; Philadelphia; Jersey City Celtics, N.J.; Todd Shipyard of Brooklyn, N.Y.; New York FC; Falco FC of Holyoke, Mass.; and JP Coats of Pawtucket, R.I. 1923 The world’s first indoor soccer league with 11-a-side teams on a full-sized field opened the winter season at the Commonwealth Calvary Armory in Boston. 1930 The USA was one of 13 nations to compete in the first FIFA World Cup competition in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Bert Patenaude (Fall River, Mass.) was the third-leading scorer in the tournament and was the first player to tally three goals in World Cup play. 1932 At the 10th Olympiad in Los Angeles, soccer was eliminated due to a controversy between FIFA and the IOC over the definition of an amateur and the reluctance of most of the strong soccer countries to travel to California because of the expense involved. 1938 West Chester State College and Salisbury College played in the first intercollegiate soccer game under floodlights. 1941 The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) was organized by 10 coaches attending the annual meeting of the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association of America in New York. 1945 The USFA changed its name to the U.S. Soccer Football Association (USSFA). 1950 Joe Gaetjens’ goal lifts the USA over England 1-0 at the World Cup in Brazil. It was called the biggest upset ever in international soccer. The first college bowl game was played in St. Louis Jan. 1. Penn State University tied the University of San Francisco 2-2.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame was organized by the Philadelphia Old-timers Association. There were 15 inaugural inductees. 1953 In an agreement with the Old-timers Soccer Association, the USSFA assumed administration of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. 1958 The American Soccer League (ASL) was granted permission from the USSFA to create an International Soccer League (ISL), made up of top-class European, South American and U.S. professional league teams that would operate in the cities throughout the United States. 1959 The first NCAA championship tournament was held in Storrs, Conn. St. Louis defeated Bridgeport University 5-2. The first National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics college championship was held in Slippery Rock, Pa.. Pratt Institute was victorious over Elizabethtown College 4-3. 1960 The International Soccer League began play under the sponsorship of William Cox and the ASL. For more than a decade foreign teams visited the USA to play American teams. The new league, composed of first class European, British and South American teams, was an attempt to test the support of American soccer fans for a top-flight league.

1961 The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), the governing body of soccer in this part of the world, was recognized by FIFA. 1967 Two new major professional leagues made their debut in the USA, the USSFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association (USA) and the independent National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). By the end of the year, the leagues merged at the request of FIFA and the North American Soccer League (NASL) was established. 1971 Pele retired from international competition after Brazil tied Yugoslavia 2-2 before 150,000 at Rio de Janiero’s Maracana Stadium. 1973 Kyle Rote, Jr., became the first rookie and first American to win the NASL scoring title with 10 goals and 10 assists for 30 points. 1974 The USSFA changed its name to the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Kyle Rote, Jr. won the first of his three victories in ABC-TV Superstars competitions against elite athletes from other major sports. The NASL reached a membership of 18 teams.

1975 In April, the New York Cosmos signed Pele for $4.5 million. 1977 The NASL signed a seven-game contract for national television. On October 1, Pele participated for both sides in his farewell game at Giants Stadium between the Cosmos and Santos, his old team from Brazil, in front of a crowd of 77,202. 1978 The Chicago Sting played the Cuban National Team in an exhibition in Havana, the first time since 1959 an American professional sports team had visited Castro’s island. The New York Cosmos became the first NASL team to break one million in home and away attendance. In September, the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) debuted with six franchises: Cincinnati Kids, Cleveland Force, Houston Summit, New York Arrows, Philadelphia Fever and Pittsburgh Spirit. 1981 The U.S. Under-20 National Team competed in its first World Youth Championship in Australia. The U.S. team lost to Uruguay 3-0, tied Qatar 1-1, and lost to Poland 4-0. 1982 The United States made a formal bid to host the 1986 World Cup.

The MISL season opened with 14 teams, including three teams participating for a season from the NASL (San Jose, Chicago and San Diego). 1983 FIFA awarded the 1986 World Cup to Mexico, rejecting the U.S. bid. 1984 The United Soccer League (USL) was formed. The ASL canceled what would have been its 50th season. Four NASL teams permanently joined the MISL (New York, Chicago, San Diego and Minnesota). The American Indoor Soccer Association (AISA) was formed. 1985 The NASL and USL ceased operations. 1986 The Western Soccer Alliance (WSA) kicked off with seven teams. At the UNICEF All-Star game in Pasadena, Calif., FIFA officials suggested the USA should bid for the ‘94 World Cup. 1988 The ASL began play with 10 teams. On July 4, the United States was awarded the 1994 World Cup during the FIFA Congress in Zurich. 1989 Paul Caligiuri scored the biggest goal in U.S. Soccer history since Gaetjens’ 1950 World Cup goal against England.

Referred to as the “shot heard around the world,” Caligiuri’s 35-yard dipping shot found the net in a 1-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago Nov. 19 in front of 35,000 red-clad Trinidadians, clinching the USA’s first appearance in the World Cup since 1950. The U.S. Indoor Five-A-Side (Futsal) Team won the bronze medal at the inaugural FIFA World Championship in the Netherlands. 1990 The U.S. competed in the World Cup for the first time in 40 years. The WSL and the ASL merged to form the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). 1991 The U.S. Women’s National Team captured the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Championship in China with a 2-1 win over Norway Nov. 30. The women qualified for the world championship by defeating its five CONCACAF opponents by a combined score of 49-0. The U.S. National Team won its first-ever regional championship July 7 when it captured the CONCACAF Gold Cup by defeating Honduras 4-3 in penalty kicks. The U.S.

U-23 team won the gold medal at the Pan Am Games in Cuba. 1992 The U.S. National Team won the inaugural U.S. Cup ‘92 in June, defeating Ireland 3-1 and Portugal 1-0, and tying three-time World Cup champion Italy 1-1. The U.S. Indoor (Five-a-Side) Team won the silver medal at the 2nd FIFA Indoor Five-a-Side World Championship in Hong Kong. The M(I)SL folded after 15 years in existence. 1993 In February, U.S. Soccer held the first-ever Strategic Summit where more than 250 soccer leaders and personalities met in Chicago for four days to plan the development of soccer into the 21st Century. U.S. Cup ‘93 was used as a dress rehearsal for World Cup organizers, officials and volunteers, as well as the U.S. National Team. The USA’s 2-0 defeat of England made headlines around the world. Attendance and media interest were high, with 286,761 people attending the tournament’s six games, and ABC-TV broadcasting the June 13 U.S.-Germany match. The U.S.

Under-20 National Team defeated Europe’s number one seed, Turkey, 6-0 in the first game of the World Youth Championship in Australia. FIFA officials called the trouncing one of the most extraordinary results in the history of the tournament. The U-20s finished eighth in the world. The NPSL was granted status in the professional indoor division by U.S. Soccer. The APSL was declared a Division II professional league. The United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL) was given Division III status. Plans for Major League Soccer — a Division I league to follow the legacy of World Cup ‘94 — were presented by U.S. Soccer President Alan Rothenberg. 1994 U.S. Soccer served as host national association for the 1994 FIFA World Cup and, in conjunction with World Cup USA 1994, Inc., staged the greatest event in FIFA history. More than 3.5 million fans flocked to U.S. stadia — breaking by more than one million the attendance record established in Italy in 1990 — and soccer fever in the U.S. was at an all-time high. The U.S.

team advanced beyond the first round for the first time in 64 years, falling to eventual champion Brazil 1-0 in a July 4 round of 16 showdown at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif. On June 4,91,123 fans jammed the Rose Bowl to watch the U.S. defeat Mexico, 1-0, in its final tune-up prior to the World Cup. Game proceeds netted $1 million in a U.S. Soccer contribution to UNICEF/Children’s Defense Fund. The Women’s National Team won the Chiquita Cup, a four-team international tournament in which the U.S. hosted Germany, China and Norway. The U.S. went on to successfully defend its CONCACAF championship, qualifying for the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Championship by outscoring the opposition 36-1 en route to winning all four qualification matches. Head coach Anson Dorrance announced his resignation and U.S. Soccer named assistant coach Tony DiCicco to succeed him. 1995 U.S. Soccer announced in February its intention to host the 1999 Women’s World Cup and began the formal bid process with FIFA.

The men’s national team won U.S. Cup ‘95 in June, defeating Nigeria and Mexico and tying Colombia. The 4-0 victory over Mexico during U.S. Cup ‘95 was the most lopsided U.S. victory in the rivalry’s 61-year history. Later that month, the women’s team placed third in the Women’s World Cup in Sweden, falling to eventual champion Norway in the semifinals 1-0, then defeating China. In July, the men’s team made international headlines by advancing to the semifinals of Copa America, one of the world’s most prestigious tournaments. The U.S. scored its first-ever victory over Argentina, 3-0, and advanced via penalty kicks (over Mexico) into the semifinals before falling 1-0 to defending world champion Brazil. Steve Sampson, who had served as interim national team coach since April, was named full-time head coach in August. 1996 The women’s national team won the first-ever women’s soccer gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, defeating China 2-1 in the championship game. The U.S.

posted a 21-1-2 overall record and won the Brazil Cup and U.S. Women’s Cup ‘96. The U.S. men’s Olympic team narrowly missed advancing to the quarterfinals with a 1-1-1 record. Major League Soccer was launched, providing the United States with its first Division I outdoor pro league since the North American Soccer League ceased operations in 1984. MLS averaged more than 17,000 fans per game. The A-League and USISL merged to form a larger and stronger Division II outdoor league. FIFA awarded the 1999 Women’s World Cup to the United States and U.S. Soccer pledged it would be the biggest and most successful women’s sporting event ever. 1997 The men’s national team finished off their successful World Cup qualification process with an historic 0-0 draw in Mexico, a 3-0 win in Canada and a 4-2 home victory over El Savlador. Those performances enabled the team to clinch a spot in the 1998 World Cup with a game to spare.

The team finished their grueling 16-game qualifying run with just two losses and their 4-1-5 final round record was second by one point in CONCACAF. The women’s team continued their impressive play by winning their fourth straight U.S Women’s Cup and going undefeated in the six-game Nike Victory Tour, celebrating their Olympic Gold Medal a year earlier. Women’s World Cup Organizing Committee had awarded the ‘99 games to seven U.S. locations: Boston; Chicago; Los Angeles; New York/New Jersey; Portland, Ore.; San Francisco Bay Area; and Washington, D.C. 1998 A disappointing World Cup finished with the U.S. in last place after two difficult match-ups against Germany and Yugoslavia, and a heart-breaking loss to Iran. Brian McBride scores the team’s only World Cup goal. The tournament concludes with the resignation of head coach Steve Sampson, who is eventually replaced on Oct. 27 by Bruce Arena, who seemingly won every major championship he encountered with D.C. United and the University of Virginia. The women’s team continued their impressive play, losing just twice in 1998 while playing in front of records crowds all across the country.

1999 In front of over 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., the U.S. women won the 1999 FIFA World Cup by defending China to a 0-0 tie through regulation and overtime and then defeating the Chinese women 5-4 in penalty kicks. Their road to victory incites soccer hysteria in America as the women appear on every top news program, at the White House and on the cover of Time, Newsweek, People and Sports Illustrated. U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Tony DiCicco resigned inNovember as the winningest coach in U.S. Soccer history with a record of 103-8-8. In Bruce Arena’s first full year at the helm of the U.S. Men’s National Team, the squad achieved a 7-4-2 mark in 13 international matches, which includes two wins over Germany and victories over Argentina and Chile. His team earned the bronze medal at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup in Mexico.

The U-23 Men’s National Team beat Canada to earn the bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, while the U-18 Women took the gold. The Under-21 Women also earned the 1999 Nordic Cup title. The U-20s advanced to the second round of the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in April, with their only two loses coming to eventual finalists Spain and Japan. Taylor Twellman scored four goals to earn himself the Bronze Boot, the first American male to ever earn a FIFA scoring award. In November, the U-17s extended their record unbeaten streak to 24 games, advancing to the semifinals of the World Championships before losing in penalty kicks to Australia. In addition to an all-time best fourth-place finish, forward Landon Donovan and midfielder DaMarcus Beasley earned the Gold and Silver Balls as the tournaments top two MVPs. 2000 Bruce Arena’s squad continued to advance toward their ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.

The team secured 10 out of a possible 12 points in its last four qualifying matches — all shutouts — to win their semifinal qualifying group and advance into the final qualifying phase. The defense is the story of qualification, as the Americans allowed only three goals in six matches, while the offense exploded for 14 goals. The men also scored an impressive win in Chile, shutout Mexico in two wins and kept the Nike U.S. Cup title in the United States. The United States women maintained the momentum from their historic Women’s World Cup title with a record 41 matches in 2000, posting a 26-6-9 record. The U.S. won a whopping six tournament titles in 2000, including — for the first time in six tries — the prestigious Algarve Cup in Portugal. The women claimed a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics, losing in overtime to arch-rival Norway in the Gold Medal Match. The American men and women put on an impressive display for the world at the Sydney Games, as the U.S. is the only nation to have both its teams advance to the semifinals.

The American men are the surprise team of the tournament, winning their group and advancing to the semis before grabbing fourth place, the men’s highest Olympic finish. The American youth teams used the year to prepare for qualification into the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championships. The Under-17s again spend most of the year in residency with head coach John Ellinger in Florida and post a 35-14-7 record. The team outscored their opponents 167-65 and had three players net more than 20 goals on the year. The Under-20s, coached by Wolfgang Sunholz, are impressive in their warm ups for qualification, despite missing many of their regular players, compiling a 16-8-10 record. The Under-21 Women win their third Nordic Cup title in the last four years, showing the world the legacy of the U.S. Women’s National Team is in good hands. 2001 The U.S. Men qualified for a fourth straight World Cup appearance, boosted by four wins and a draw to open the final round of CONCACAF qualifying. For the first time in U.S.

Soccer history, the Men’s National Team clinched a spot in the World Cup at a home qualifier, topping Jamaica 2-1 behind two goals from Joe-Max Moore in front of 40,483 fans at the last soccer match played at Foxboro Stadium. The U.S. Women play only 10 international matches in 2001 as the new Women’s United Soccer Association begins play, with the Bay Area CyberRays winning the inaugural Founders Cup. Mia Hamm was named the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, beating out teammate Tiffeny Milbrett and Chinese superstar Sun Wen for the historic award. The U.S. Under-21 Women won their third straight Nordic Cup title with a 6-1 rout of Sweden in the final. The U.S. Under-19 Women’s National Team prepared for the 2002 U-19 Women’s World Championship by going undefeated in five international matches, outscoring opponents 23-1. The U.S.

Under-17 Men’s National Team advanced to their ninth consecutive FIFA U-17 World Championship, but were into the Group of Death in Trinidad & Tobago with Japan, Nigeria and France, and were eliminated in the first round. The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team qualified for their third straight FIFA World Youth Championship, where the team finished second in their group in Argentina and were eliminated in the second round by Egypt. The National Professional Soccer League, in existence since 1984-95, merges with the WISL and is renamed as the Major Indoor Soccer League. 2002 The U.S. Men’s National Team advanced to the quarterfinals at the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan, the team’s best World Cup showing since 1930. The U.S. shocks the world with a stunning, 3-2 opening game upset of Portugal, and then earns a difficult draw with the host Koreans to earn enough points for second place in Group D. The U.S.

then posts their first-ever victory in the World Cup knockout stage, blanking CONCACAF rival Mexico 2-0 in the Round of 16 with goals by Brian McBride and Landon Donovan. The World Cup run ended in the quarterfinals with a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to Germany. Midfielder Claudio Reyna was named to the All-Tournament Team, while Landon Donovan earned World Cup Honorable Mentions. Prior to the World Cup, the USA began 2002 by winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup in January with a convincing 2-0 victory over Costa Rica at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. It was the first Gold Cup title for the U.S. since 1991. The U.S. Women’s National Team qualified for their fourth consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup, set for China 2003, after capturing the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. In one of the stories of the year, the U.S.

Under-19 Women’s National Team topped the host Canadians 1-0 in overtime to win the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship. The USA was a perfect 6-0 in the tournament, allowing just two goals. Forward Kelly Wilson won the Bronze Ball as the tournament’s third MVP and the Silver Boot as the tournament’s second leading scorer, while forward Lindsay Tarpley earned the Bronze Boot. Additionally, the U.S. Under-21 Women’s National Team won the Nordic Cup in Finland, marking the team’s fifth Nordic Cup title in six years. A new national team, the Under-17 Women’s National Team, was established in October. For the men, the U.S. Under-20 National Team qualified for their fourth consecutive FIFA World Youth Championship, scheduled for the United Arab Emirates in 2003. The U.S. National Futsal Team played their first-ever home matches, defeating Canada and tying Mexico in March in Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D.C., respectively. 2003 Due to the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, FIFA relocated the Women’s World Cup out of China. After a successful bid to host the tournament, U.S.

Soccer faced the unprecedented task of hosting the tournament with just four months of preparation. The U.S. Women’s National Team easily won Group A and then beat Norway in the quarterfinals 1-0. But Germany stunned the U.S. with a 3-0 victory in the semifinals, which led the U.S. to top Canada in the third-place match. Shannon Boxx, Joy Fawcett and Mia Hamm all earned all-star honors from FIFA. The Men’s National Team, preparing for World Cup qualifying in 2004, finished in third place at the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Costa Rica. On the youth side, the U.S. Under-21 WNT won their sixth Nordic Cup title in seven years, and the Men’s Under-17 and Under-20 squads finished their respective World Championships with fifth place finishes after bowing out with quarterfinal losses to Brazil and Argentina, respectively. 2004 The U.S. Women’s National Team won every tournament entered, culminating with the 2004 Olympics.

Other tournament titles included the Algarve Cup, the Four Nations Tournament and the CONCACAF Regional Olympic qualifying tournament, as the team set a record with 28 victories on the year (against just four ties and two losses). At the youth level, the Under-21 Women won their seventh Nordic Cup in eight years and the Under-19 Women finished third at the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship. Under head coach Bruce Arena, the U.S. Men’s National Team qualified for the final round of World Cup Qualifying for the CONCACAF region. The U.S. Men also finished the year with an 8-1-6 record, losing only to Holland in Amsterdam and going a record 13-games undefeated. The U-23 Men failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 1976, losing 4-0 to Mexico in Guadalajara after winning their group only match up against the second-place Mexicans in the single-elimination qualifier. The U.S.

National Futsal Team won the 2004 CONCACAF Championship and qualified for the 2004 FIFA Futsal World Championship, where the team had a strong showing with a seventh-place finish. 2005 Manager Bruce Arena led the U.S. Men’s National Team to a first place finish in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying for the first time in 71 years, earning a berth at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals in Germany with a 2-0 win against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio. The U.S. Men also brought home the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, beating Panama 3-1 in penalty kicks after a scoreless draw. The team finished the year with a record 13 wins and best-ever .750 winning percentage. The U.S. Women began a new era, starting off the year with a new coach and a third consecutive Algarve Cup title, their fourth overall. They ended the year undefeated and without allowing a single goal. Meanwhile, the U.S.

Under-20 Men’s National Team swept through CONCACAF Qualifying undefeated, earning a berth to the FIFA Youth World Championship, where they finished 11th, bowing out to Italy in the Round of 16. The Under-17 Men also had a strong 2005, qualifying for the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship and finishing fifth overall after a loss to Holland in the second round. 2006 June of 2006 brought a disappointing World Cup in Germany for the United States, as the team failed to advance out of the first round despite a gallant, nine-man 1-1 draw with eventual World Cup champions Italy. Later in the summer, the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team finished fourth in Russia. The disappointing finish marks the first time a U.S. Women’s National Team has finished outside the top three in a FIFA or CONCACAF World Championship event. The U.S. Women’s National Team, however, continued their incredible run under Greg Ryan, winning three of the four tournaments they entered (the only setback coming in penalty kicks to Germany in the final of the Algarve Cup).

The year concluded with another Women’s Gold Cup crown and a berth in the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China. After eight years in charge, Bruce Arena is replaced at the helm of the U.S. MNT by Bob Bradley, on an interim basis. 2007 Bob Bradley became the first head coach in U.S. Soccer history to win his first three games in charge and was hired full-time to guide the USA through 2010. In the summer of 2007, the MNT won its second consecutive Gold Cup, and fourth total title, by defeating Mexico 2-1 in front of a packed house at Soldier Field in Chicago. With the victory, the MNT gained entry into the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa, a tournament they last took part in during 2003. Soon after, the MNT travelled to Venezuela to compete in Copa America for just the second time. After qualifying for their respective World Cups to continue impressive streaks, the U-17 MNT and U-20 MNT took on the world during the summer in back-to-back tournaments.

The U-20 team performed admirably in Canada, and reached the quarterfinals after defeats of Poland, Brazil and Uruguay. The U-17 team, meanwhile, did well to qualify from a tough group in South Korea, before being eliminated by Germany in the Round of 16. The U.S. WNT maintained their two-plus year undefeated run, looking to take their streak into the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Drawn into the toughest group in Women's World Cup history, the U.S. WNT qualified in first place after three difficult games against Korea DPR, Sweden and Nigeria. The U.S. rolled into the semifinals, but was upended by a quality Brazil side. Eventually, the WNT took third place for the second consecutive World Cup with a convincing win over Norway. Wilmer Cabrerra was named head coach of the U-17 MNT, replacing John Hackworth. Former Swedish National Team player and captain Pia Sundhage was appointed to the position of WNT coach after Greg Ryan's departure from the team. For the first time, U.S. Soccer hired four full-time referees to enhance high-level performance, training and development opportunities for the sport’s elite officials in the United States.

2008 Led by Pia Sundhage, the U.S. Women’s National Team had one of its best years ever, losing only one game, which ironically came in the opening match of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a tournament the U.S. would eventually win to take home their third gold medal. Overall, the U.S. WNT won all six tournaments it entered to finish with a 33-1-2 record, giving them the most wins and best winning percentage ever in a calendar year (.944). The Men’s National Team was successful in its own right, starting off on the right foot in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying with a 9-0 aggregate against Barbados in the second round. The U.S. opened the semifinal round with 1-0 victories in Guatemala, their first ever on Guatemalan soil, and during a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Havana, Cuba. Coming back to the U.S., Bob Bradley’s squad earned home victories against T&T and Cuba to clinch their advancement with two games to play.

The MNT also played a handful of major friendlies on European soil, traveling to Poland, England and Spain, before coming back to Giants Stadium to face Argentina, the No. 1 team in the world at the time, and earning a 0-0 draw. The U-23 MNT joined the WNT by qualifying for the 2008 Olympics in March, but just missed out on the second round once arriving in Beijing. Despite a 1-0 victory against Japan in their opening match, the U.S. gave up a late equalizer against the Netherlands in a game they otherwise dominated to draw 2-2, and then fell 2-1 against eventual silver medalist Nigeria. On the youth side, the U-17 and U-20 Women’s National Teams both made the championship match of their respective FIFA World Cups. In New Zealand, the U-17s went on an impressive run to the final before finally succumbing to Korea DPR in the final, but in Chile their older counterparts were able to exact revenge with a 2-1 victory to bring the World Cup trophy back to the United States for the first time since 2002.

Building off the initial kickoff in 2007, U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy wrapped up its first year with a collection of dynamic matches during Finals Week at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. In the U-15/16 championship, Carmel United pulled off an astounding run with a 1-0 victory against PDA, while the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays came from behind against LAFC to force overtime and eventually win 4-2 to take the U-17/18 title. 2009 Slated to have one of its busiest years ever, the U.S. Men’s National Team started 2009 focused on CONCACAF Final Round qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Opening with a 2-0 win over archrival Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, Bob Bradley’s squad proceeded to go undefeated at home and clinch a spot in South Africa with a come-from-behind win in Honduras—the only CONCACAF team to win in San Pedro Sula throughout qualifying. They finished atop the CONCACAF table with a tie against Costa Rica in Washington, D.C. on the last day of qualifying in October. During the summer, the U.S.

MNT traveled to South Africa to compete in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. The MNT was drawn into a group with Italy, Brazil and Egypt, and advanced into the semifinals by virtue of a 3-0 dismantling of Egypt in the final game. They kept the nation captivated by beating Spain, the No.1-ranked team in the world in the semifinals before falling 3-2 to Brazil in the final. The championship match was the furthest the U.S. has ever gone in a FIFA men’s tournament, while Tim Howard was awarded the Golden Gloves as tournament’s best goalkeeper and Clint Dempsey given the Bronze Ball as the tournament’s third-best player. Not two days after landing back stateside, head coach Bob Bradley started training a younger group of national team players to compete in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. With an almost entirely different roster, the U.S. finished that tournament as runner up after reaching its second championship match in two months. The MNT wrapped up 2009 with a pair of friendlies against Slovakia and Denmark, before finding out their group for the 2010 World Cup. Drawn into Group C, the U.S.

will face England, Slovenia and Algeria in South Africa next summer. Pia Sunhage’s team had a more relaxed year after their gold medal winning exploits in 2008, starting with the 2009 Algarve Cup in Portugal. After rattling off three straight shutout wins against Denmark, Iceland and Norway, the U.S. WNT drew Sweden 1-1 but fell in heartbreaking fashion in penalties. They played three friendlies against Canada, winning all three by a 6-0 combined score. Abby Wambach cemented her status in Women’s National Team lore by scoring her 100th international goal in a 1-0 victory against Canada in her hometown of Rochester, N.Y., on July 19. In the final match of the year, Sundhage led her charges overseas against perennial women’s power Germany, defeating the host nation 1-0 on October 29. Both the U-17 and U-20 Men’s National Team competed in their respective FIFA World Cups this year, with the U-17 team advancing out of the group stage in Nigeria before falling to Italy in the Round of 16.

A tough group containing Germany, Cameroon and Korea Republic saw the U-20s out of the tournament following the first round in Egypt. Like the WNT, the youth women’s sides had a slower year after world cups in 2008. The U-20s played three international friendlies in March against Norway, France and Germany where they won, drew and lost respectively. The U-17s played three successive matches against Germany in February, before wrapping up the year in December with a trip to Argentina where they dispatched the U-17 sides of Argentina and Chile, a joint U-17/U-20 side from Uruguay and even Argentina’s U-20 squad, scoring 16 goals while giving up only one in the entire trip. The U.S. Soccer Development Academy completed its second year of competition in 2009, once again concluding the season with Finals Week at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. In the U-15/16 age group, playoff No.1-seed Derby County Wolves continued their strong season straight through Finals Week, eventually defeating a Cal Odyssey squad that was the only team representing California 1-0.

For his club’s strong season, Wolves’ head coach Lars Richters was named U-15/16 Coach of the Year for the Academy. Indiana United Academy, formerly Carmel United, established precedent by becoming the first two-time champion of the Academy; after winning the U-15/16 title in 2008 the club returned most of their squad and defeated D.C. United in the championship game to take home the U-17/18 championship. 2010 The year’s most memorable moment came in the U.S. Men’s third group game at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as Landon Donovan scored a last-minute goal for the U.S. to clinch advancement and clinch a group for the first time in 80 years. Following a 1-1 tie with England, a 2-2 tie with Slovenia and a 1-0 win against Algeria, the U.S. was eliminated in the Round of 16 losing to Ghana 2-1. Clint Dempsey became the second U.S.

player to score in multiple World Cups, and Landon Donovan had three total goals to be come the third to score in multiple World Cups and the all-time World Cup goal leader for the U.S. After a surprising loss to Mexico in the semifinals of Women’s CONCACAF qualifying, the U.S. topped Italy 2-0 in a two-game qualifying playoff to earn a spot in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The U.S. won its seventh Algarve Cup with the first of two victories against 2011 hosts Germany. The U.S. Under-20 Women lost in penalty kicks to Nigeria in the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIFA U-20 World Cup, while the U-17 Women became the first U.S. Women’s team to fail to qualify for a FIFA World Cup event after not advancing out of the CONACACAF qualifying tournament. No Division II league met U.S. Soccer’s sanctioning standards; the Federation administered a league called USSF D-2 for one year. 2011 The U.S. Women were on center stage during the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany.

Their dramatic run in the Women’s World Cup was highlighted by an electric, come-from-behind victory in the quarterfinals against Brazil, in which Abby Wambach scored the latest goal (six minutes into stoppage time) ever in a World Cup match. The U.S., however, would lose out in penalties to a spirited Japanese side in the final after playing to a 2-2 draw through 120 minutes. During the summer of 2011 at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the U.S. advanced to its third consecutive final, scoring two early goals before falling 4-2 to Mexico. The continental tournament would prove to be Bob Bradley’s last involvement as head coach of the U.S., with former Germany international and FIFA World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann taking the helm of the U.S. Men in August. He earned his first win in Miami against Honduras thanks to a Clint Dempsey strike and later led the team to a 3-2 victory against Slovenia in its last game of the year. The U-17 and U-20 Men’s National Teams both entered another cycle of their respective FIFA World Cups.

The U-17 Men reached the knockout round for the seventh time but lost to Germany in the Round of 16. After winning their qualifying group with two shutout victories, the U-20s graduated to the quarterfinals but fell to Guatemala and did not reach the World Cup for the first time since 1995. Follow Us World Championships | International Weightlifting Federation International Weightlifting Federation H-1146 Budapest, Istvánmezei út 1-3. Hungary Phone: +36 1 353 0530 Fax: +36 1 353 0199 Switzerland-1007, Lausanne Subscribe to our newsletter To receive up-to-date information about the latest weightlifting issues, subscribe to our newsletter the SPO(r)TLIGHT available in English, Spanish and Russian.

Question: Which team won the Fdration Internationale de Volleyball Women's World Championship in Japan, that was held in October / November 2010?
Answer: Russia