Remembering the day the United States became a soccer nation | American Soccer, Explained
Today, marks the 31st anniversary of the day that, arguably, the United States became a soccer nation.
It was 1994. The FIFA World Cup in the United States had been running for roughly two weeks and by all accounts was a wild success. Stadiums were packed, the games were exciting, and the U.S. Men's National Team had surprised many by qualifying for the Round of 16. Their reward? A matchup with Brazil at Stanford Stadium on July 4.
The date, obviously, was important for symbolic reasons. But it was also significant because it meant that most Americans had the day off and could tune in for the match that Monday afternoon. The media picked up the story ahead of time and spent several days building up the U.S. team, its cast of characters, and the patriotic significance of a U.S. national team playing on Independence Day.
On the day, the stadium was sold out, and 11 million people tuned in for the game -- a record TV audience for a soccer game at the time, according to the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The match itself was wild and entertaining. The U.S. nearly scored in the opening minutes before Brazil -- who would go on to win the World Cup a few weeks later -- began attacking in waves, coming close again and again. Just before halftime, Leonardo elbowed Tab Ramos, cracking his skull and receiving a red card for his recklessness.
The match remained scoreless midway through the second half, and the home crowd began to think "What if?" The USMNT were up a man, the defense was holding, and Thomas Dooley was playing the best game of his national team career. Could they pull off a miracle?
No. There was to be no Independence Day miracle. In the 74th minute, the great Romario played Bebeto in behind the defense, and he slotted his shot past a sliding Alexi Lalas and a diving Tony Meola. Final score: Brazil 1, USA 0.
But in the end, I'd argue, the U.S. actually won that day. They won the respect of soccer fans around the world and won the hearts and minds of American fans. Those fans didn't become diehard supporters because of that game, but they did get a taste of the passion and color of the world's game and they felt what it means to cheer for your national soccer team. The game was a watershed moment for what my colleagues at Short Corner Media and I call the "soccer generation." It inspired fandom in millions of Americans, and today we can look back and see dotted lines from that moment to the movement that has seen support for the USMNT and soccer itself explode in our country.
Happy Independence Day, soccer nation!