Hello friends, good vibes to all.
The 1994 World Cup in the United States holds a very special place in my memory because it was the first one where I have solid memories of beginning to love and understand football. I bring these reflections to this space because, talking with friends, we reminisced about the time when we first started watching football, and in my case, it was with this World Cup. It was a competition that left many anecdotes for the history books: Maradona's last World Cup and the way he had to leave the tournament due to an own goal; a Colombian player was murdered upon arriving in his country; Roger Milla (Cameroon) became the oldest player to score a goal in a World Cup; and we saw the performances of great players that, personally, are forever etched in my memory.
Football has changed a lot, too much I'd say, and that class, that raw and direct style of play, is just not seen anymore. For example, I remember Jorge Campos, the Mexican goalkeeper who was eliminated by Hristo Stoichkov's powerful and tough Bulgarian team, who was the top scorer of that World Cup. And do you know why I remember him? Because it was in a penalty shootout where Campos guessed correctly on every shot, but because of his height (1.7 meters), he was never able to stop the shots. Speaking of goalkeepers, there was another one who revolutionized the World Cup: Thomas Ravelli (Sweden), that Swedish team that finished third, eliminated in the semifinals by the eventual champions, Brazil. This team played very well, with the Andersson brothers and a certain Henrik Larsson leading the attack.
There were teams that generated a lot of buzz because nobody expected anything from them. I've already mentioned Sweden, Bulgaria (who finished 4th), but we can't forget Romania either—yes, the Romania of Gheorghe Hagi. I'll never forget Hagi's goal against Colombia in the group stage; it was one of the best goals of that World Cup. Another great moment that deserves to be remembered is the best goal of that tournament, which has historically gone unnoticed because it wasn't scored by an elite player. It's a goal that rivals Maradona's famous goal against England or Messi's against Getafe. I'm talking about Saeed Al-Owairan, who, in the Saudi Arabia vs. Belgium match—perhaps one of the most unremarkable games—scored a goal after a run of over 60 meters. This goal deserves more recognition, and it frustrates me that it's never been talked about. Here it is.
But beyond all these things that, for me, added so much color to a World Cup I wasn't used to seeing these kinds of performances, I think what we saw from that Brazilian team was incredible. I'll always highlight three players who taught me what true class is: Taffarel, Romario, and Bebeto. Watching these three guys play was insane; the class and level of understanding the two forwards had was something I've rarely seen. They were truly fearsome. And let's not forget Taffarel, one of the best goalkeepers Brazil has ever had. I'm aware that Cafu, Mauro Silva, Dunga, Ronaldo Nazario, and others were also there, but for me, those three were the faces of that team.
Another event that went down in history was the penalty shootout in which Brazil won, becoming, incidentally, the first champion on penalties. I mention this because the great Roberto Baggio went on injured to take his penalty and missed, sealing the fate of that match. Gianluca Pagliuca was Italy's goalkeeper, and I remember him having the game of his life. It was a very exciting final, where the golden goal rule still existed. I think, without fear of being wrong, this was the most special World Cup because it was the first, but also because I think it was a very good one in terms of the level of play. Many people don't think so, but what we experienced in 1994 was extraordinary.
The 1994 World Cup was the beginning of it all, the start of my love and passion for football. I think we all have a World Cup that fits this description; if you'd like, you can tell me which one was yours in the comments.
¡Un abrazo a todos, nos leemos en la próxima!
Well, that's all for today, folks. I hope you enjoyed it.
¡Hugs to everyone, see you next time!