• Where: Civic Auditorium
For American soccer fans, the 1994 World Cup team was something special.
It was the squad that gave the sport an important boost — something that has grown apparent as the United States has become increasingly competitive on the international level.
Omahans will get a chance to watch members of that team play Friday night in an exhibition game against the Major Indoor Soccer League's Omaha Vipers. Game time is 7:05 p.m. at the Civic Auditorium.
And if you're wondering if these guys still have game, just ask Marcelo Balboa — a defender on that 1994 squad.
“I think people will be surprised by the way we can still play once those juices get going,” Balboa said. “It's for fun, but we still don't like to lose.”
While it is billed as the 1994 World Cup squad, seven members of the 11-player roster were on that team. The others are younger players who also have competed internationally, including the World Cup and Major League Soccer.
“We all still have a passion for the game,” Balboa said. “And everyone is looking forward to coming to Nebraska, because most of us have never been there.”
The 1994 World Cup team members who will compete are Balboa, Alexi Lalas, Paul Caligiuri, Fernando Clavijo, Tab Ramos, Tony Meola and Eric Wynalda. Also playing for the team will be Diego Gutierrez, Roy Lassiter, Tony Sanneh and Preki Radosavljevic.
Balboa said Wynalda recently pulled a calf muscle and probably will be unable to play.
“We've got the core of the (World Cup) team coming to Omaha,” Balboa said. “We enjoy promoting soccer as much as we can.”
The 1994 squad is credited with maintaining the momentum of the sport generated after the 1990 United States team reached the World Cup for the first time in 40 years. The U.S. was the host nation in 1994, and the home team didn't disappoint.
The Americans went 1-1-1 during the early stages of the World Cup, including a 2-1 victory over heavily favored Colombia. That win, considered to be the soccer equivalent of the United States hockey team's victory over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics, helped lift the Americans to the knockout round for the first time since 1930.
The U.S. was later eliminated by eventual champion Brazil, but the performance helped give the sport of soccer a needed boost in popularity — one that Balboa said makes him proud.
“It was an honor to be part of that,” he said. “I still get chills when I think about walking onto the field for some of those games. Our fans were just great.”
The win over Colombia was chronicled in part in the recent ESPN 30/30 documentary “The Two Escobars.” Colombian defender Andres Escobar accidentally knocked in an own goal — one he accidentally deflected into his own net — and was subsequently murdered shortly after the team's return home.
“When we heard what had happened afterward, it was really a shock,” Balboa said. “We just felt the joy of winning during the game, though I never like to see an own goal against any defender. I've had five or six myself and there's really nothing you can do about it.”
Balboa, who lives in Denver and hosts a soccer-themed radio show, said the 1994 squad members recently played an exhibition in Colombia.
“They remembered us,” Balboa said. “Everyone was very gracious to us down there. It's just all about a real love for the sport.”
Balboa added that he can see a time when the United States could someday win the World Cup.
“I think it can happen,” he said. “We've already come a long way on the international level, and I think that a great team that gets a little bit of luck along the way could get it done. And that would be awesome.”
Vipers coach Marcelo Fontana said his squad is looking forward to the exhibition.
“We're very happy to be playing them,” he said. “It's going to be fun, but we're going to be working on some things because we've got a league game coming up right after that.”
The Vipers, 5-5 in the five-team MISL, will play host to the Missouri Comets on Sunday at 3:05 p.m
Contact the writer:
444-1350, mike.patterson@owh.com
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