USA 94 – Inspiring or Insubstantial?

In 1994, America stood triumphant as the world’s sole superpower. The Berlin Wall had fallen, the Soviet Union had collapsed, and 9/11 was still seven years away. Fukuyama declared the end of history, and scriptwriters began crafting a speech to be released two years down the line, through which the fictional President Whitmore would rally the human race to defend the earth against alien invasion. In short, liberal democracy had triumphed.It was against this backdrop that the USA prepared to hold the World Cup final at the Rose Bowl in California – the pinnacle of a tournament that had broken every attendance record in the history of the competition. Yet the match between Brazil and Italy was something of a disappointment – a 0-0 draw which failed to provide the climax that football fans had hoped for.As the tournament prepares to return to North America for the first time in over 30 years, Nathan and Chris explore the positives and negatives of USA 94. As Nathan embraces his nostalgia for the tournament, and Chris casts a more detached and critical eye, this episode of The Way We See Sport, The Way We See Life considers whether the tournament, and 90s America in general, was inspiring or merely somewhat insubstantial.