This weekend it will be the 10th anniversary of the 'Tetracampeonato' in the USA WC 94. For many people like me it was the first time they had the opportunity to see a Brazilian captain lifting the Cup live, after 24 years of absence. It was also the occasion when Brazil claimed back their rightfull place, that of the kings of the football world. Now that 10 years have passed and other titles have been won and lost, how do you feel it? Do you still have fond memories of it? Do you think it was worth the way it was conquered? Did you feel much better when Brazil won the WC 2002 instead? Tell your experiences!
1994 was a big relief! I too had never witnessed Brazil win a WC so this was a long long long wait. For a while it seemed like Brazil would never win another WC and it happened in 94. Sure I wish it wasnt on PKs but STILL Brazil deserved it over Italy which really struggled in that WC. My memories of 1994 are fonder than 2002 which really wasnt all that exciting in the Brazil games. 2006 though I think will be great. HEXACampeao on the horizon. Do we get to keep the trophy for good?
My memories of the 1994 World Cup can be summarized in the final game itself. I had been away from Brazil for quite a while and had become detached from soccer and from Brazil's NT. In 1986, the only memory I have of that World Cup was reading news in a Brazilian newspaper my family somehow got a hold of. It said, "E ficamos 16 anos sem vencer a Copa do Mundo." In 1990? I didn't follow soccer at all. (It is amazing that all of us here, who now live in the Internet age, can find out instantaneously about sports and news around the globe as they happen. Had the Internet existed during those Cups, it surely would've been easier for me to follow them and to keep up my soccer interest.) So in 1994, I knew the Cup was happening, but I was going to school that summer and couldn't catch the matches. I imagined Brazil had a good team but laughed at the naive American newspapers who said Romario was "the Michael Jordan of soccer" and Bebeto "Scottie Pippen." In fact, I did not know ANY of those players, not only because I hadn't been following the game, but because the last great names of Brazil's NT that I recalled were the legends from 1982... Zico, Socrates, Falcao, etc. Brazil won each game, and while I only read about the news after the matches, my confidence grew slowly. I had been totally surprised that Brazil had struggled so much to defeat the United States (the only other round of 16 game I saw in its entirety) and was confused that this team didn't steamroll the USA as Zico's team had done back in the day. So came the final match. The one thing that made me want Brazil to win so bad was my heartwrenching memory of Sarria. No scoring, the Mauro Silva kick on the post, that play in overtime that almost became a goal. PKs. My entire family is glued to the TV. I started going crazy when Baresi missed, but Marcio Santos' miss stopped my premature celebrations. When Taffarel defended Massaro's kick, I again shouted and jumped, and shook my fist, emulating Dunga's own gesture as his kick made it 3-2. Then came Roberto Baggio, whom I knew from news reports to be far superior to the 1982 villain, Paolo Rossi. He missed. My family and I shouted in unison and we went nuts jumping up and down. Other than Dunga lifting the Cup, the "Senna, nós aceleramos juntos, o Tetra é nosso!" banner was the best part of the victory celebration. But as joyful and exhilarating as that moment was, considering how passionate and diehard I've become in the past 10 years, I would've celebrated even harder had I kept in touch with soccer all those years. My 2002 celebration was even louder - but more delightful because I'd stood by Brazil from qualifying, supported Scolari, and watched every game (somehow I got to do it) attentively and with much expectation. 1994 was really unexpected, and also relieving because as radio and TV stations all over Brazil ecstatically proclaimed, at long last it was time to say that "finalmente acabou o sofrimento!" The Tetra will live forever, even though the Penta is already ours!
My goodness, amazing how time simply melts away , isnt it? Fond memories all around. I was 17 y.o. back then and USA 94 was my first round the clock WC experience. I remenber it as though it happened just yesterday. Basically saw all the matches missing only the simultaneous ones in the group round. Didnt have cable at the time to catch those later on. Actually I guess I celebrated more the victory against Uruguay in the last match of the qualifiers then the title itself. I mean , we HAD to win that day. September 19th,1993. Romario's first and best performance in that campaign. Truly great. Ah and about the perennial question , 1982 or 1994, I'd rather play football-art and lose than play pragmatic game and win 94 style. But thats just me.
1994 was such an important year for me. Last year of high school, applying for college in the States, my mom and dad started moving towards divorce. But above all the World Cup. Every game was held at the home of a different friend in my high school class. I hosted Brazil x Sweden (first round) unfortunately. The Brazil x Holland game had the biggest crowd as with other games, including the final, people were gathered in many different places. For some reason for that one game everyone was in the same place. The greatest burst of excitement besides finally wining the trophy was for that beautiful goal from Branco. Everyone was jumping up and down and yelling. I'm not disapointed with how Brazil won. Parreira had a plan and it worked brilliantly. Unfortunately around March 94 Raí started to stink. He had gone bad and Parreira is the kind of coach who builds a team with time. He thoguht he didn't have time to bring in a replacement and decided to stick by Raí. He had an ok World Cup but certainly nowhere near as good as he was meant to. Replacing him with Mazinho was the safe thing to do. I had hoped Parreira would withdraw a forward to a ponta-de-lança role and play a 4-3-3. We all know Parreira would likely never do that (but wait, that's almost what he's doing now). Actually, after seeing Ronaldo dominate a game at 17 (the Brazil x Iceland friendly) I thought he should start. But despite all the support that hindsight might add to that view, I admit it was a little premature. Romário was amazing of course, but I will always remember Dunga, for his leadership, the ******** he endured from the press ever since 1990 and for being the best all-around player on that team. He was the one who stepped up big when our midfieled lost it's creative edge and our cabeça-de-area was putting in beautiful passes, supporting Jorginho and Leonardo and creating some of our goals. 2002 was great but 1994 will be a greater mark on my life I believe. 2006, who knows, if Ronaldo is 100% will top both of those together.
Falcao Radio Show: 10 Years since Tetra Listen to all the goals as Falcao covers the 1994 10 year recap on Radio Gaucha. Here is the link to the archive: http://www.clicrbs.com.br/jsp/parce...ha.gif&COLOR=004262&DIR=gauchaam&TITLE=Gaúcha
Nice story, Ombak. Eu estava...I was at the Cotton Bowl for Brasil-Holland. I was interning at a consulting firm, and although they had called it a sell-out for some time, just for kicks called the ticket hotline to inquire about tickets just 1 day before the game. To my amazement the girl on the other end said there where two tickets available together...seems some people order but either don't pay, or have credit card issues! Bought them, bought two airplane tickets to Dallas, told the girlfriend we were off to the quarter-finals the next day (to which she said "Quarter-finals of what?"). I tried to ignore the total cost of these last minute arrangements....coughed it up to "once in lifetime" event. Flew out first thing in the morning...rented a car and drove to some watering hole in a renovated section of Dallas, and awaited the Spain/Italy game. Had to convince the staff to put the soccer game on...watched the game with a bunch of Oranje supporters. Drove to the Cotton bowl....got lost....found my way...and sat at the 50 meter line about 18 rows up! Boring first half, that knocked my girlfriend to sleep. Blazing second half that had the whole stadium abuzz. So impressed with the defensive shape of Brasil....Aldair and M.santos seemed to be everywhere, and Romario was always a dangerous.....Rijkaard was majestic as well. Final whistle blew and the party began.Took literally an hour to dance our way out of the stadium, and barely make my flight back. As my girl and I were calling it a night, exhausted as hell, she said "That was the most fun I've ever had at an athletic event. Can we do it again next week?!". One story in the pursuit of the Tetra.