Soccer Meets America

El fútbol en EE. UU. comenzó en la sombra. Desde las ligas de inmigrantes hasta el triunfo en el Mundial de 1950, pasando por el espectáculo y el colapso de Pelé en la NASL, todo está preparado para una idea audaz: traer el Mundial de 1994.

Newly minted U.S. Soccer Federation president Alan Rothenberg takes on the Herculean task of staging the 1994 FIFA World Cup; he must deliver a tournament that satisfies FIFA and the global soccer community while convincing Americans that soccer belongs in their country; as sponsors, broadcasters, the U.S. national team, and even stars like Oprah Winfrey and Robin Williams rally around the effort, the tournament becomes a defining test for soccer in America.

Major League Soccer launches in 1996 with the promise of building on the success of the 1994 World Cup; but the new league faces uncertain fans, financial pressure, and the challenge of finding its place in American sports; then cable television, the internet, and video games connect American fans to soccer around the world; what once seemed like a niche sport grows an enthusiastic and vast audience, transforming the United States into one of the most important markets in global soccer.