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| The Summer of 1994 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 4 2014, 12:26 PM (224 Views) | |
| Martin | Mar 4 2014, 12:26 PM Post #1 |
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Hard to believe it has been 20 years now but here is a long but very well worth reading piece on World Cup 1994 and how it changed forever the history of soccer in the US. Some interesting stories in there from many of the players, coaches and administrators. Also a good look at the motivational ability of Bora Milutinovic. |
| Club Sportivo Desamparados | |
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| garbaggio | Mar 4 2014, 01:41 PM Post #2 |
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Great article. The '94 World Cup - and the buildup in the years leading to it - made soccer my favorite sport. I'm still a fan of most major sports but soccer has remained #1 since those times. Interesting that Rothenberg was asked whether the tournament was overhyped. It needed to be. I still have a bit of the soccer persecution complex that expects the game I want to watch to be pre-empted by some extraneous event. In the beginning of that World Cup (was it the opener?) we had all media outlets focused intently on the single most important thing in the universe. No, of course, it wasn't soccer. It was a white Ford Bronco with a certain OJ Simpson driving around the LA freeways that monopolized America's media attention. The players on the USMNT were, as the article says, largely a bunch of college players trying to make it. But there was a lot of talent in the group and so many of them went on to important careers in MLS and US Soccer and broadcasting. The 1998 team was probably more talented but officially came in last place. The 94 team was cohesive. Even though it wasn't usually exciting or skillful attacking soccer it showed how good a team can be when everyone plays for each other. |
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| americafutbol10 | Mar 4 2014, 06:02 PM Post #3 |
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Great article & memories ...can't believe it's been 20 years The 1994 WC was not my introduction to the World Cup or soccer but it was the one that fueled my thirst & made me a fanatic of the "beautiful game" for life! Still remember how much I cheered when Wynalda scored on that free kick v Switzerland & watching the USA-Colombia game with a friend at my parents' home in NY! Actually, rooted for the USA & went crazy when Earnie Stewart scored the eventual GW goal! Afterwards, we went driving around my neighborhood, honking horns & waving American flags...of course, not the smartest move, given that I lived in a Colombian neighborhood & am of Colombian heritage. But it was a different time and, fortunately, nothing bad happened...truthfully, we weren't total assholes in our celebrating, like fans today. The funny thing is that, today, I'm still 110% American but I also bleed Colombia & HATE when they play each other...because it really tears at my heart! Go figure :rolleyes: |
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US Soccer...Don't Thread On Me! Michigan Football...Harbaugh Effect (GO BLUE!) LA Galaxy...5-time MLS Cup Champions! Colombia...VIVA, Cafeteros! | |
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| alabastergremlin | Mar 4 2014, 08:03 PM Post #4 |
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What a fantastic read. I was 13 that summer and was just becoming aware of the sport on a global scale. It was never more than a sport within the city/state I grew up in. I didn't have any real concept of a national team or any global competition until that summer. It was nice to read that with more detail that I would have picked up on then. I do remember bits and pieces of it but the photos and videos really add to my memory of the games. It is rather interesting to think of "modern US soccer" being less than 30 years old. I do think WC94 got the ball rolling and so many of the people pulling strings today and on the field today are products of what began that summer. ...and damn, I could go for seeing Cobi Jones playing again. |
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| alabastergremlin | Mar 4 2014, 08:07 PM Post #5 |
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And I just recently watch the ESPN 30 for 30 film "The Two Escobars" again. Seeing the clip of the own goal...is gut wrenching knowing what would take place shortly thereafter. And to make matters worse, the pass he was trying to break up was a good one and (while there is no way to know for sure) appears to be in the perfect spot for Stewart. Escobar had no choice but to try to break it up and was just terribly unlucky. And Balboa's bicycle attempt...talk about a great goal that never was. Had that gone it we might remember that as the greatest US goal ever. Beautiful. Just missed... This is only making more excited for this summer. |
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| TonyDE | Mar 4 2014, 10:21 PM Post #6 |
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A very enjoyable read and it does bring back great memories. No question that World Cup got the sport going in this country. And a pretty feisty team who used that club mentality they built up training together at Mission Viejo to become a tough team to beat. |
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| shelsoccer | Mar 7 2014, 12:18 PM Post #7 |
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Thanks for sharing that, Martin. It brought back a lot of great memories. I went to six games that summer, including the opener in Chicago, the US games vs. Switzerland and Romania, and the final. I can remember Oprah falling through the stage at the opening ceremonies. I can remember leaving Chicago after the opener at about 4 a.m. to drive to Pontiac for the US-Switzerland game, hyed up all the way. I can remember halfway focusing on the OJ story while still being completely focused on the World Cup. I remember Sports Illustrated running a cover photo of Earnie Stewart reacting after scoring vs. Colombia, and all the criticism SI got for not having the NBA finals on the cover. I can remember a last-minute opportunity to sit in the Tribune of Honor for the third-place game between Sweden and Bulgaria wearing my Sweden jersey and sort of shrugging at Rothenberg and Havenlange that I wasn't appropriately dressed. I remember sitting behind the goal when Baggio skyed his PK. It truly was a month that changed the sport in this country. |
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| hobbes | Mar 7 2014, 03:27 PM Post #8 |
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Thanks for that. It was a good read. It's funny how memories are, but I can remember the opening game of the 1994 World Cup like it was yesterday. I ditched class (I was a senior in HS and finals were right around the corner, but I was mailing it in by that point) to watch the opening game early Friday afternoon. I remember Diana Ross comically missing her shot during the opening ceremonies. After the game we went to the inaugural game of an independent baseball league, met a couple of former MLB players, discovered OJ Simpson was on the run with the law and then went back to my house to watch my tape of what we expected to be a boring South Korea-Spain game. Then they scored twice in five minutes and we just sat there mouths open…. of course they did. We just watched OJ's slow speed chase with Juan Berenguere, why wouldn't the Koreans score twice at the death to shock everyone? It was that kind of night. If Balboa scored that, it's in the running for best goal ever. Full stop. Playing at home in a World Cup, the audacity and the great contact he got on it… It would have been one for the ages. cheers, hobbes |
| Saskatchewan for the CPL: multis e gentibus vires | |
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| libero | Mar 9 2014, 10:51 PM Post #9 |
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I was never sure who took a poorer penalty kick in 1994, Diana Ross to inaugurate the tournament or Roberto Baggio to end it? ![]() What a great summer. My memories not only of watching it on TV but going to see that Germany-Bolivia game to start the competition (with Marco Etcheverry's record setting sending off minutes after coming on as a sub!), a 1-1 tie between Germany and Spain and a thrilling round of 16 match between Germany and Belgium, won 3-2 by Germany. All games played in Chicago where this Italia fan had tickets. Who knew 20 years later than excellent striker I saw playing for Germany would go on to become the US coach? |
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| Johnbuildr | Mar 10 2014, 10:22 AM Post #10 |
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What a summer. Took my sons and a couple other of their youth teammates all the way from Nebraska to Dallas to watch Brasil and Holland score a combined 5 goals in a 3-2 barn burner in the Cotton Bowl. What a game. What a Cup. You know what, gentlemen? FIFA has done itself and world wide soccer a huge dis-service by not returning a World Cup to the USA. Few nations can bring as much power and glory to the beautiful game in the staging of the pinnacle of futbol for the rest of the world as the USA with its infrastructure and telecommunications abilities. |
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Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum | |
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...can't believe it's been 20 years

11:25 AM Jul 11