USA 94

World Cup that Changed the Game, The

Matthew Evans

• Publisher: Pitch Publishing
• eBook ISBN:
  9781801503266
• Year: 2022

A group of volunteers begged, borrowed and remortgaged a house on their way to convincing FIFA to hand them the keys to the 1994 World Cup. When they got the green light, the USA was tasked with presenting the greatest show on earth to a nation of non-believers, with a press corps just waiting for them to fail. Six years later, the country famed for its glitz, glamour and razzmatazz delivered a glorious summer of memorable kits and billowing goal nets, confounding the doubters as they shattered attendance records and drew fans in their millions. The full-throttle journey to the global phenomenon that football is today had begun. It was a tale of two missed penalties, a car chase, internal politics, triumph and tragedy in equal measure. Heroes were born, dreams were shattered and for many life would never be the same. If Italia 90 unlocked the door to the modern game, then USA 94 kicked it open and nailed it to the wall. The revolution was here, and it was televised.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Dedication
• Prologue
• Introduction
• 1. How the West Won
• 2. A Leap of Faith
• 3. The Science of Grass
• 4. Arise America before It’s Too Late
• 5. The Super Eagles Take Flight
• 6. From the Desert to DC
• 7. In the Heat of the Moment
• 8. The Word is Freedom
• 9. El Diego’s Last Stand
• 10. The Best of Enemies
• 11. Life Does Not End Here
• 12. God is Bulgarian
• 13. The Class of 94
• 14. Divine Intervention
• 15. The Ugly Duckling
• 16. A Door in the Sky
• 17. Mission Accomplished
• Group Results and Final Standings
• Acknowledgements
• Bibliography
• Photos