Today I'm going back 27 years to 17th July 1994 and the 1994 World Cup Final played at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena near Los Angeles.
Attentive readers of these articles may recall that I had already attended one World Cup Final in 1990. It was one of the worst games that I have ever seen and, combined with a huge ticket price ($500 I think), represented surely the worst value for money that I've ever experienced at a football match. So of course, four years later, I was ready to give the World Cup Final another go. It couldn't be any worse could it? Well actually it ran it pretty close!
1990 was the first World Cup Final where there were less than three goals and indeed it was the first time that one of the teams failed to score (Argentina nil!). 1994 was going to outdo that however with a final score line of Brazil 0 Italy 0 after extra time. Not only that but the ticket was even more expensive than it had been in 1990 coming in at an eye watering $750 for a final score of Lack of Goals 0 Value for Money 0.
I'm protesting a bit much however. The quality of football on display in 1994 was much better than Argentina's turgid defence at all costs strategy had been in 1990 and no game involving Brazil is ever going to be boring. Brazil came into the tournament as one of the, if not the, favourites. This was not unusual as Brazil are always expected to be there or thereabouts when it comes to winning World Cups. Strangely perhaps though, it should be remembered that by 1994 Brazil hadn't won the World Cup for 24 years. 24 years of hurt! Imagine!
Brazil, managed by Carlos Alberto Parreira, had a steely look about them and they coasted to top spot in their Group phase with wins over Russia and Cameroon and a draw with Sweden in their final Group game when they had already qualified. In the round of 16 they had the unpleasant task of eliminating hosts the United States 1-0 before a much tougher Quarter-final played in the heat of Dallas where they beat a stubborn Netherlands side 3-2. Sweden were next and were beaten 1-0 in the Rose Bowl Semi-Final and Brazil were into the "Championship Game" as the Americans would have it.
Italy's passage to the Final, under Arrigo Sacchi, was made to look much more difficult than it should have been. In the Group Phase the Italians finished third in a Group where all four sides won one, drew one and lost one. Italy only advanced on goals scored with points and goal difference being level. In the Round of 16 they came from behind to beat Nigeria 2-1 after extra time in a game I attended near San Francisco and were within two minutes of being eliminated. In the Quarter-Final they beat Spain scoring the crucial winner just two minutes from time. Italy must have been delighted to be facing Bulgaria rather than Germany in the Semi-Final but were made to work for it by the Bulgarians and only came out on top by 2-1.
The teams came out for the Final with the entire Brazil side holding hands in a show of togetherness. It's perhaps none too surprising that hand holding hasn't exactly caught on subsequently and it may be something of a Covid19 blessing that players are somewhat less touchy feely today than they were in 1994. The highlights in the video attached to my blog are a little sparse but there were a few goal chances spread through the 120 minutes preceding penalties and indeed Brazil did hit the post following a handling error by the Italian keeper Pagliuca,
The Italian side was impressive on paper at least and included the likes of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, future Tottenham player Nicola Berti, the talismanic divine ponytail Roberto Baggio, Roberto Donadoni and Dino Baggio. Brazil's side included goalkeeper Taffarel, Aldair, Dunga, Bebeto, Romario and substitute Cafu. It all came down to penalties in the end and Brazil showed slightly more composure taking theirs before the tournament ended as it had started. On the opening day Diana Ross had missed an open goal during the opening ceremony and on the Final day the divine ponytail skied his penalty to give the World Cup to Brazil. Boy did the partying begin! Perhaps it was a Chain Reaction?
CRB Match No. 905
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