From the publisher:
USA 94: The World Cup That Changed the Game is the story of how football’s final frontier was conquered.
A band 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, America faced the daunting task of presenting the greatest show on Earth to a nation of non-believers, with a press corps expecting them to fail.
Six years later, the country famed for its glitz and razzmatazz delivered a summer of colour, drama and unforgettable goals. They confounded the doubters, 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 and triumph and tragedy in equal measure
- Heroes were born, dreams were shattered and, for many, life would never be the same
- Features exclusive insight from players, executives, coaches and journalists with first-hand experience of the tournament
- Includes extensive research from both modern sources and archived accounts
- A complete chronicle – from the bid process through to the final, played before 94,000 fans
- Explores the tournament’s impact on football and its legacy in the USA and worldwide
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.
The author:
Matthew Evans is a freelance football writer who specialises in the history of the game. He has written extensively on all eras of the beautiful game for various online outlets as well as appearing on podcasts and in print for These Football Times and Nutmeg magazine. He is a huge fan of football nostalgia, and the 1994 World Cup remains a massive part of his education, having absorbed the tournament as a teenager.
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