Before the U.S. Men's National Team took on Trinidad & Tobago in the first of two vital matches in Austin, Texas on Thursday, Nov. 16 that will determine its fate in the Concacaf Nations League and 2024 Copa America, Paul Caligiuri met the squad.
He could have talked about what it means to wear the crest.
He could have brought up his experience in two World Cups and with the USMNT.
And yes, he talked about The Goal, considered by many fans and media as "The Shot Heard Around the World." After all, that goal is a quintessential moment in U.S. Soccer history.
The Goal boosted the USA to a 1-0 triumph over Trinidad & Tobago in the final World Cup qualifier on Nov. 19, 1989, and propelled the team into the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, snapping a 40-year drought. The second game of the series will be played at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Monday, Nov. 20, one day after the anniversary.
The 1989 win also saved the U.S. from the embarrassment of not booking at spot at Italia '90, after being awarded the 1994 FIFA World Cup a year prior.
Caligiuri, who would rather talk about the win, than his goal, has been gratified to see what has grown from the game.
"I get it that it gave us a lifeline and gave us the boost that we needed," he said in a recent interview.
"The one question I get the most, 'Had you not scored that goal, had we not won that game, where would soccer be like today?' "
Caligiuri turned that question around, noting what has transpired since then.
"Soccer today is amazing in the United States," he said. "We're going to host our second World Cup. We're in a situation where established professional league players are playing abroad. So many wonderful things are happening. Academies and leagues and multiple youth leagues. It just keeps growing and going and going.
"We brought the world to America, including big international clubs and countries that come play in the United States. We are a soccer nation. It reflects how many fans come out to support the Men's and Women's Nationals Teams. That reflects how packed the stadiums are in Major League Soccer, but it also reflects on when the world comes to us and plays exhibition matches. These crowds are 80,000 people."
Caligiuri doesn't wear The Goal on his sleeve. But he understood his place and legacy in U.S. Soccer, though he noted that he had scored only five goals in 110 international appearances.
While still starring at UCLA, Caligiuri made his USMNT debut as a 20-year-old, starting in a 3-1 friendly win over El Salvador in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, 1984.