What do you think of the 1994 World Cup US squad? I was a kid during world cup 1994, and I loved it! Sweden was great and the whole world cup was the best I ever watched. I even remember most of the US team. Wynalda, Tony Meola, Tab Ramos, Alexi Lalas etc. I thought that US squad was awesome. You only lost to 1-0 against brazil in the elimination stage. Brazil had Bebeto and Romario, imo Romario is the best striker ever. Was that american squad ahead of its time? Is the 94 squad better than the 2007 one?
There is no doubt our squad is better now than it was in 1994. I would really have to go back and watch some games again because I really don't remember how those guys were playing but even the '98 squad is a better team than the '94. I think we have come a long way hell a number of the players on the '94 team wouldn't even have a club team listed beside their name. I think there are a number of players circa '94 or '98 that could certainly challenge for spots on our current team especially forwards. Preki, Mcbride, Reyna, Wynalda, Wegerle, Dooley, Pope, Jones, Friedel, Harkes, and Stewart are some names that could possibly challenge for roster spots today though not necessarily succesfully. I'm sure someone with a better memory and who followed the team more closely back then could do a better job of listing which of those '94 or '98 players could challenge for spots today.
I was at the game and the US never even sniffed a goal. The current guys are better in terms of skill and much better in terms of tactics.
I actually think the 1994 squad was underrated. In particular, the central defense. All of the guys on that 1994 team (sans the ones born outside the US) grew up with a league to watch. I think currently we lack quality players in a certain age group that grew up between the folding of the NASL and the 1994 World Cup. So something like players born between 1975-1981. So, guys between the ages of 26-32. Defenders usually are at their best at that age, so I think we are seeing that lack of quality now. Sure, they may be better athletes now, but is the central defense of WC1994 worse than 2006? Not sure.
Look at that list. Wow. That does bring back some memories. I think more than half of them in their prime were good enough to make our current squad. But we currently have more professional players--less intimidated by the likes of Brazil. So it isn't so much a difference in talent, but experience.
The interesting thing about that team and those players is that the next year they took a quantum leap and played much more exciting and attractive soccer. In '95 they won the US Cup (absolutely smoking a full strength Mexico squad 4-0 in the process) and made it to the semifinals of the Copa America where they played a much more competitive match in losing to Brazil 1-0 than they did at the World Cup in '94.
That 94 squad had a lot more heart than recent US squads. However, it was nowhere near today's US team, or even 2nd team in terms of talent and technical ability. This is a good question, since I just recently rewatched the US's 94 World Cup games. Let me tell you, it was a very painful experience. The team isn't able to hold possession, the team doesn't produce scoring opportunities in the field of play. Basically, the team put 8-9 men back on defense, and would counter occasionally by kicking it far upfield. Most of the scoring chances were from long throw-ins and hard-won set pieces. That said, I actually think the 94 defense was actually pretty decent, and may be better than today's US team in some respects. However, this may just be a case of having the whole team back on D, and not pushing the ball forward. Another thing is they all played hard. Watch Landon Donovan play nowadays, and you can't say the same thing.