When the Wall fell, popular culture rose to a new level of social relevance. Wind of Change? More like a tsunami! The Nineties washed over the increasingly globalized media landscape in a tidal wave of catchy tunes, cult movies, TV series and show stars. FACES rolls up the decade – and publishes an encyclopedia on the age of grunge, girl groups, GZSZ and football in the USA.
Super Bowl, baseball, basketball, ice hockey – the USA cheers in front of the TV or in sold-out stadiums. King Football, on the other hand, treats Uncle Sam with disdain. Exception: The 1994 World Cup.
A whopping 3.5 million people watch 52 matches from the stands. Eyewitnesses to dramas that would provide material for an entire summer of movies. Two-legged folk shrines stand in the specially prepared arenas, Cameroon’s corner flag dancer Roger Milla (then 42) becomes the oldest World Cup goalscorer ever, Borussia bomber Stéphane Chapuisat whirls the Romanians dizzy, goatee Alexi Lalas provides rock’n’roll in the ranks of the locals. Andrés Escobar (probably) has the Colombian betting mafia murdered after an own goal. Fuzzy-headed Carlos Valderama, on the other hand, is actually building a monument in his hometown of Santa Marta. Guacho Diego Maradona, on the other hand, falls tragically from the podium: Doping scandal, coke of course.
The final alone: For Italy, the trophy hangs by a thread, sorry, a dark brown “codino”. That little tail of hair on the back of Azzurri top striker Roberto Baggio’s neck, who scored the decisive penalty against Brazil into the sky above Pasadena instead of into the net. And Brazil danced the samba! Switzerland experienced an unusual outburst of emotion as they reached the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time since 1966. Only one round less than Germany, whose dream of defending their title was shattered in the quarter-finals by Bulgaria’s defensive block.
After that, the matches of Major League Soccer, which was founded in 1994 specifically for the World Cup, will also be generated. One season. As a result, interest in the US national championship drops radically. 26 years later, it is a park and playground for failed birds of paradise and old stars with no desire for early retirement. After all.
