The most celebrated moment in Marcelo Balboa’s legendary U.S. national team career was a misfire, an audacious bicycle kick that sailed just wide of the left post in the Yanks’ Rose Bowl upset of Colombia the first time the World Cup traveled to our shores. It led, thanks to Philip Anschutz’s enthusiasm for it, to […]
World Cup 1994
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
A wave of documentaries tackle American soccer
Decades ago, the NFL made a remarkable discovery — marketing through myth-making and story-telling. The NFL Films unit changed the way pro football was viewed. Passes sailed through the air in slow motion before arriving at their targets with a backdrop of thrilling orchestral music that was far more engaging than what passed for “classical” […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily
What They’re Saying: Alan Rothenberg
Alan Rothenberg, on the Soccer Media Podcast, described how MLS launched in the wake of the USA-hosted 1994 FIFA World Cup he chaired and the advantages of its single-entity approach. 🎥 Watch (☝️): Marcelo Balboa’s near-miss in the USA’s 2-1 win over Colombia at the 1994 World Cup. “[Single-entity] prevented runaway competition for players and […]
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The Alan Rothenberg Book: An important contribution to the canon of U.S. soccer history
The Big Bounce: The Surge That Shaped the Future of U.S. Soccer By Alan Rothenberg (Triumph Books) Before we start to read Alan Rothenberg’s life story, both Julie Foudy and Alexi Lalas tell us upfront that the man who has done so much for the U.S. game is “a visionary.” Rothenberg directly contradicts that view. […]
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The election that reshaped American sports: Alan Rothenberg on U.S. Soccer’s 1990 AGM
FIFA played hardball and threatened U.S. Soccer that it was in danger of having FIFA renege on its commitment to host the 1994 World Cup on U.S. soil if there was no change in leadership.
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1994 World Cup Flashback: Five names you should know
Here are five names to have at your fingertips about the 15th World Cup, hosted by the USA and won by Brazil.
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1994 vs. 2026: Alan Rothenberg compares World Cup preparations
Alan Rothenberg was the CEO and chairman of the USA-hosted 1994 FIFA World Cup, U.S. Soccer’s president in 1990-1998, and founder of the U.S. Soccer Foundation and Major League Soccer.
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Soccer America Archives (1994 World Cup Draw)
Looking forward to the 2026 World Cup draw Dec. 5, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., here’s glimpse at the 1994 World Cup in Las Vegas.
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A summer to remember
Thursday marked the 31st anniversary of the 1994 World Cup final — Brazil vs. Italy — at the Rose Bowl.
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Tony Meola on World Cups one year out: 1994 and 2026
We asked Tony Meola to reminisce about playing goalkeeper for the USA when it had one year left to prepare for the 1994 World Cup hosted in nine U.S. cities.