Drive to Bring World Cup to U.S. Began on Fateful Day in ’84
For all intents and purposes, the World Cup Soccer Tournament started coming to America sometime in the early afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 9, 1984.
Alan Rothenberg, the man who would eventually lead the effort to get the World Cup here, and who is now the CEO of World Cup USA, was in a quandary that day. He was the soccer commissioner for the ’84 Olympics, and he had been looking forward to a calm before the storm of the soccer final two nights later at the Rose Bowl.
All he had on his plate that day was the third-place game, matching Yugoslavia and Italy. The Rose Bowl then held about 100,000 for soccer and Rothenberg and his crew expected half that for the consolation game. Being American, he knew how U.S. sports fans reacted to games that were for something other than the championship. They ignored them.
Shortly after noon, he received word that the Rose Bowl parking lots were swarming with people lining up to buy tickets for that night’s game. And there was nowhere near enough tickets.
Rothenberg and his associates, fearing a riot, had additional tickets rushed in. That night, Yugoslavia beat Italy, 2-1, in front of 100,374 people. And the rest of the world, especially those who pay close attention to soccer, couldn’t help but notice.
The seed had been planted. Maybe soccer could come to the richest country in the world for its quadrennial showcase.
Between that day in August, 1984, and 1989, much was happening behind the scenes on the international level. But Rothenberg knew he needed to make a move on the national level.
The U.S. Soccer Federation, to most observers, lacked the sophistication to pull off the hosting of a World Cup. It was a disjointed organization that was still raising some funds with bake sales.
As the time for election of the head of the U.S. Soccer Federation neared, Rothenberg moved in with a well-organized campaign befitting the well-respected Los Angeles lawyer. In 1990, he was elected president and all who followed his quick ascent understood that, not only would the World Cup in the United States take on the organizational attributes of the L.A. Olympic Organizing Committeebut that he would expertly maneuver his hometowninto the central role.
On July 17, the World Cup finals will be played at the Rose Bowl. It will be just 23 days shy of 10 years since 100,374 fans shocked Rothenberg and showed the world this might be a good place for a soccer tournament after all.
