US Team Is Losing World Cup Name Game

(June 26) -- The United States men's national team has surprised the world with its clutch World Cup play. But there's one soccer contest the U.S. team has already lost: the name game.

While other World Cup clubs are known to fans by beloved nicknames like England's "Three Lions," the Ivory Coast's "Elephants," and South Korea's "Taeguk Warriors," the U.S. national team goes by a handful of unofficial and half-baked monikers, like "The Yanks," "The Nats," "The Amerks" and, worst of all, the United States men's national team abbreviation "USMNT."

Hard to chant and harder to cheer for, American soccer lovers have long called for a bold new nickname that U.S. fans can rally behind -- especially when the team has to play against squads with undeniably awesome monikers like Cameroon's "Indomitable Lions," Algeria's "Desert Foxes" and South Africa's "Bafana, Bafana" ("The Boys").

And considering the fact that the U.S. national team needs to beat Ghana's cool-sounding "Black Stars" on Saturday to remain in contention for the title, it's fair to say the American squad needs a new nickname now more than ever.

Thomas McCabe, an adjunct history professor at Rutgers University, says soccer club nicknames often reference styles of play, like Spain's "Red Fury," or jersey colors, like France's "Blues."

"I like 'The Stars and Stripes' because it's patriotic and it reflects our country's history," said McCabe, who is teaching a course on the global history of soccer.

"Within the soccer community, we tend to refer to the U.S. team as 'The National Team,' but outside of that community, I think an identifiable nickname would be good," he said. "I've heard 'The Yanks' -- I don't like that one because it's imposed on us from the outside, by the English and others."

While many soccer lovers agree that a new nickname might unify fans in the stadium, soccer expert Stephan Schindler says a better moniker won't necessarily turn America into a soccer-crazed country.

"I think you got the logic upside down: the team doesn't have a strong nickname due to the lack of public enthusiasm and interest in soccer," said Schindler, the chairman of Germanic languages and literatures at Washington University.

Mike Woitalla, the executive editor of SoccerAmerica.com, agrees that a new nickname alone won't make soccer America's favorite sport, though a moniker less clumsy than "USMNT" would "make it easier to cheer."

"We just haven't had the luck or the history of some of the other countries," Woitalla said.

That might be true when it comes to soccer, but Paste Magazine's Josh Jackson says there's no reason Americans can't turn to their nation's history when searching for a new team nickname.

Jackson urges American soccer fans to call the squad "The Buffaloes" -- a title he says would honor an animal that is "[t]ough and majestic. The most important creature to many of our land's first human inhabitants."

Woitalla agrees that any nickname would help fans in the stands -- and sports journalists like himself who are always seeking synonyms for "the U.S. national team."

But he says that American buffalo are too slow-moving for such a fast-paced game.

"The problem with bison is that they are sort of lumbering," said Woitalla, who in a nod to the national bird suggests calling the team "The Eagles."

"Bison are not a very elegant animal, whereas the eagle is elegant and soars," he said. "It's a noble animal."

Noble perhaps, but hardly distinctive. In fact, two countries in this year's tournament evoke the bird of prey in their nicknames: Serbia's "White Eagles" and Nigeria's "Super Eagles."

Calls to the United States Soccer Federation to vet possible nicknames including "The American Dream," "Manifest Destiny" and the timely "Landon Opportunity" were not returned in time for AOL News' deadline.