[Football] World Cup 1994... where the hell were you?

[Bakero]

I was in the final year of primary school. Memories of recreating the games and nobody wanting to be Dunga.

 

[nicko31]

I remember that there were no home nations present and the Beeb more or less told us we should all start supporting Ireland FFS...

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Aged 9, first world up I properly obsessed over, and it was probably the point at which my father successfully convinced me to "be" Irish, not English.

 

[Simster]

I remember that there were no home nations present and the Beeb more or less told us we should all start supporting Ireland FFS...

Yes, although it was more ITV who were doing that, as I recall. I couldn't stand that Oyreland side, it pissed me off no end when they beat Italy in NY.

It was a great tournament though - gutted we weren't there but it was refreshing to see a tournament without the threat of crowd trouble and rioting. By contrast, 1990 had been absolute shite. We only remember it because we went deep into the tournament.

 

[atfc village]

Plus in the group stages Norway v Republic of Ireland was possibly the worst game I can ever remember seeing.

Great memories though, it was the summer I left secondary school and we were chasing after foreign language students. As well as that Romania v Argentina game, highlights were:

Diana Ross's penalty miss.
Alan Hansen's verdict on Andreas Escobar's defending.
Spain drawing with South Korea.
Saudi Arabia beating Belgium with a wonder goal.
Italy somehow beating Nigeria in the 2nd round.
Holland v Brazil in the quarters.

But best of all, Letchkov's winner against Germany.

Quarter finals best mate at the time had a double correct score and first scores Holland 2 Brazil 3 Romario and Bulgaria 2 Germany 1 Matthius paid a healthy sum . Germany game was something like a 7pm ko on the Sunday . None of us went to work on the monday morning .

 

[atfc village]

What is this 'World Cup 1994' of which you speak?

Or any after 98 ,sorry

 

[Swansman]

The final was awful. Memorable only for Baggio who was magnificent ballooning his penalty to the moon. I have no recollection of how Sweden did, sorry. But lets be honest, the thing that that world cup will be most remembered for (apart from the horror show penalties bookending it) is that goal by Bergkamp. Probably my all time favourite (non Albion/England) goal.

In twenty years I think the World Cup 1994 will be remembered (by connaisseurs only since its lacking Mardona/Wembley goal/Total football/Zidane madness level of events)for: the 90k+ stadiums and awakening football interest in the US, Baggios miss, Andres Escobar getting killed because of his own goal and Romario/Bebeto scoring for fun (and the Bebeto goal gesture). Maybe also Dunga changing the defensive midfield position forever.

Watch this, [MENTION=38333]Swansman[/MENTION]. It is a hugely entertaining documentary showing Taylor and his right hand yes-man, Phil Neal at their incompetent and tragic worst.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLBA8ivsrt8

Oh yeah! I've seen it, just forgot about it when I made this thread. One of my favorite football documentaries, perhaps only second to "QPR - The Four Year Plan" in terms of "fun madness". Its so primitive. It kind of highlights how no English manager ever won the PL - something in your coach education must have been really flawed for a really long time if this guy is able to get the most prestigious job in the country (possible the world, in some senses).

Looking a lot better now though, think it will be a long time before we see England managers equally out of their depth.

 

[Sorrel]

Great photo! Who is that next to Henke?

Malmo or Stockholm? Pretty sure its not Goteborg.

That's the third place parade, where the team went round Stockholm in cars.

One of the things that was very different to England at the world cup was that there was great interest/support for the third-place play-off game (which they absolutely owned).

 

[The Clamp]

Likely in The Cricketers or Kings Arms in Dorking or Market in Reigate. Either way, I’d have been shebo’d.

 

[southstandandy]

I was in America at the time on work. Spent 2 weeks in Glendale not far from Pasadena and managed to get a couple of comp final tickets through the company at the time. Obviously disappointed that England weren't there but along with the Euro 1996 final I went to, these have been the only major tournaments I ever managed to get tickets to the final for. Can't remeber too much about the game which was pretty tetchy from what I can recall but do remember Baggio and 'the divine pony tail' skying his penalty in the shoot out.

 

[The Wookiee]

Poor old Graham Taylor. Such a great manager at Watford, but utterly out of his depth with the national team. It defies belief when you look at some of the players who "earned" caps whilst he was manager.

England were utterly inept at Euro '92 (where the aforementioned Brolin tore us a new one), and the qualification tournament for USA 94 was a disaster (albeit helped by Koeman's non dismissal and subsequent goal).

I hated watching England during the Taylor years, and thoroughly enjoyed the World Cup - perhaps because we weren't there - there was nothing to anger me.

Watch this, [MENTION=38333]Swansman[/MENTION]. It is a hugely entertaining documentary showing Taylor and his right hand yes-man, Phil Neal at their incompetent and tragic worst.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLBA8ivsrt8

Quite coincidentally I watched this again last night

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

In twenty years I think the World Cup 1994 will be remembered (by connaisseurs only since its lacking Mardona/Wembley goal/Total football/Zidane madness level of events)for: the 90k+ stadiums and awakening football interest in the US, Baggios miss, Andres Escobar getting killed because of his own goal and Romario/Bebeto scoring for fun (and the Bebeto goal gesture). Maybe also Dunga changing the defensive midfield position forever.

Oh yeah, Escobar. I had somehow forgotten about him. Certainly him and Baggio were the two big stories. That and Bergkamps goal!

 

[The Wookiee]

The kids of today, eh?

Incidentally [MENTION=38333]Swansman[/MENTION], what is all this about Brolin? He was a big fat lump within weeks of arriving at Leeds. What did the saintly ex-Albion star, Howard Wilkinson do to upset Brolin apart from confiscate all the pies?

Sell him to Palace

 

[Swansman]

Oh yeah, Escobar. I had somehow forgotten about him. Certainly him and Baggio were the two big stories. That and Bergkamps goal!

I'm wondering which Bergkamp goal you mean? Yea he scored three in WC 94, but his most famous WC goal is the "bearcum" goal against Argentina in 98.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I'm wondering which Bergkamp goal you mean? Yea he scored three in WC 94, but his most famous WC goal is the "bearcum" goal against Argentina in 98.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs

That's the one! So to clarify, what I remember about world cup 94 is a goal that was scored four years later.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I dont remember everything in detail but Wilkinson (and more so George Graham) treated him poorly: first of all, when Brolin signed Wilkinson asked "how much money do you want?" and Brolin said he didnt care, he only wanted to know his position. Wilkinson told him he would play as AMC behind Yeboah, but was immediatly placed as a left midfielder, a position Brolin said he didnt have the qualities (he was fat and lazy) to play in.

That was bad of course. Sure, any really professional player would have dealt with it, but Brolin was a cry-baby. If you wanted his brilliance, it was his way or no-ones. I'm not blaming Wilkinson for making those decisions but it did in fact kill off any motivation Brolin had to return as a top player.

George Graham however... Brolin returned a day late for pre-season training because of a car accident, and Graham responded by locking his passport in a safe and completely froze him out of the team. He even had to pay to watch Leeds games. That was the nail in the coffin.

I think Brolin had a chance to get back as a good player, but he needed to be treated with baby gloves since he is a baby. He himself is definitely 98% to blame for his own demise though. He was a world class player from 90-94 but ****ed it up, and the only thing I blame Wilkinson/Graham for is not even trying to un**** it.

After his career as a player, he had a similarly bizarre career as a businessman (running a restaurant known for letting underage people in, and selling some kind of mouthpiece for vacuum cleaners).

The last time he was in the public eye, apart for some interviews, was in a very odd and """"cringe"""" (I hate this word) music video featuring the weird but internationally moderately successful rapper Dr Alban, former tennis pro Björn Borg and some dude they used to drink with at celebrity bars. They called themselves "Friends In Need"...



... worth watching for the completely unashamed and today 100% impossible exploatation of some nice, plastic Swedish babes.

Well this turned out to be something of an essay about Brolin... not sure how that happened since I could probably have summarised my response as "he was and is dumb as a rock but could maybe have turned out ok for Leeds with different managers".

Many thanks for that.

Very interesting. None of that made the headlines back in the day as far as I recall.

 

[swindonseagull]

Was in Senigallia Italy on detachment for 3 Months with 216 Sqn Royal Air Force (of course Hotel living .... Palace Hotel of all places!!) ......Hurrah!!!

 

[grubbyhands]

What a monumentally irritating thread title.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Yes, although it was more ITV who were doing that, as I recall. I couldn't stand that Oyreland side, it pissed me off no end when they beat Italy in NY.

It was a great tournament though - gutted we weren't there but it was refreshing to see a tournament without the threat of crowd trouble and rioting. By contrast, 1990 had been absolute shite. We only remember it because we went deep into the tournament.

Indeed, it was like St Patrick's Day lasting a fortnight: ITV in particular were practically referring to Ireland as "we".

Wasn't it the World Cup where it was also a bit hot at times causing Big Mick to lose his shit over water breaks? Also remember John Aldridge going mental at an official who wouldn't let him come on as a sub.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Oh and Hristo Stoichkov shared the Golden Boot I think. Bulgaria also had a goalkeeper who wore a wig.