Coach Ralph Soccer Connection

WORLD CUPS OF MY LIFETIME #7: ITALY ’90

The 1990 World Cup held personal significance to me for several reasons. While some were personal, others were more profound and would change the course of the game in this country. At the start of the summer, I agreed to take the head coaching position at Tufts University in Boston. I was already committed to a summer of camps and ODP, so I spent most of it in New Hampshire. For myself, there were two things I recall about Italia ‘90. First, Bobby Clark and I were interviewed on a local radio station to preview the tournament. My first time as a pundit! I have no recollection of who I forecast to win. Secondly, the Dartmouth lads and I watched many of the games on a giant screen in a campus lecture theatre via a satellite feed. That was more like it compared to ‘86. No advertising or commercials to interfere with watching the games!

From an American perspective, it was the US National team's first qualification in 40 years. It was a timely qualification with an American World Cup only 4 years away. The NASL had folded in 1985, so there had been no outdoor pro soccer league in the country. Professionally, the sport had survived only as an indoor game, primarily in ice hockey arenas. Two years earlier, I had watched the US team play Poland in Hartford, CT. Essentially, they were a college-age all-star team playing against seasoned pros. The team that went to Italy wasn’t that much different, with the majority of the squad just out of the college ranks. There were 4 playing in Europe at clubs like Figueres, Gyori, Volendam, and SV Meppen. I don’t claim to be that familiar with any of those clubs, but that was where US Soccer was at the time.

The first US game was against the Czechs. I had a soccer commitment at the same time, and the score began to filter through to the field bit by bit: 1-0, 2-0, 3-0. The USA was under the cosh. Czechoslovakia was scoring at regular intervals. The USA was able to scramble a consolation, but a 5-1 loss was emphatic. Was the result a surprise? Probably not, but with the next game being against Italy, the hosts and pre-tournament favourites, we feared the worst against the star-studded Italians.

The general consensus following the first game was that the young American team was naive and, as a result, had been easily exposed. To everyone’s surprise, the United States really upped their performance against the Italians. Italy were nearly held to a draw with only an early goal sparing their blushes. The USA played much more conservatively than in the first game, stifling their heavily favoured opponents. In the end, the USA returned home having lost all three group games. Psychologically, however, they came back with experience that would hold them in good stead for ’94 and beyond. Significantly, the USA has consistently qualified for the World Cup finals since then.

England and Scotland qualified once more. The Scots kept to their usual script: a loss to the minnows of Costa Rica, redemption defeating Sweden, and on course to qualify for the knockouts until a late Brazilian goal put paid to their aspirations. England drew with Ireland and European champions the Netherlands before squeaking past Egypt 1-0. They then commenced on a series of memorable games in the knockout rounds. Belgium fell to an incredible over-the-shoulder volley from David Platt, and Cameroon was defeated 3-2 in a bruising battle. Old rivals West Germany lay in wait in the semis, and England fell short yet again on penalty kicks. It was a memorable match highlighted by “Gazza’s tears” as the tears ran down the face of the mercurial midfielder upon receiving a yellow card. The Geordie realised that if England won, he would miss the final. It was not to be for him and his teammates.

West Germany vs Argentina, a repeat of the 1986 final. By the time it was played, I was at a camp in New Jersey. Maradona was not at the level he had been 4 years earlier. I missed the final again, but in truth, I didn’t miss much, as this game was a bit of a non-event, with the Germans triumphing via a late penalty kick. Maradona was not done with the World Cup, however, and was destined to reappear here in Boston four years later in 1994. This time I was there!
YNWA

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