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I think '94 was my favorite tournament. I got to see Brazil play the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in Dallas. That could have been the USA game...

You must remember the semifinal game that Italy played against Bulgaria then I imagine -probably my favorite game of all time. I still have that one on tape somewhere...I must have watched it two or three dozen times. There was a fifteen or twenty minute spell there - between the two Baggio goals - where the Italians looked like gods playing around with children. I still see the first goal as if it was yesterday - Baggio dribbling at the edge of the box, beating two defenders out of their shoes and then sending that curling shot around the Bulgarian defender, using him as a screen...Then there was that shot off the post, that beautiful chip that Mihaylov just got a fingertip to...Baggio's second goal...the atmosphere in the stands...the image of Baggio overwhelmed and in tears at the end of the game...that twenty minutes made me a diehard soccer fan for life. I can only imagine what it must have been like in the stands.

Looking forward to the Ghana match. The US got Pope and Mostroeni suspended due to red cards.

I think John O'Brien will start instead of Matroeni so it's not a huge loss - just a different, softer style.

As for Pope, he used to be the best defender the USA had. But that was a long time ago. Nowaday's Arena's continuing reliance on him is questionable at best. I expect Conrad will start so, again, it's not a loss here - perhaps it's even a gain.

Yes, I was there for all of Italy's games in 94. Baggio was so beautiful and actually he saved Italy against Nigeria by scoring a goal to tie the game with time running out in Foxboro to send the game into OT.

It looked like Italy was done.

The most incredible moment was at the end of the game. There was about four minutes left in the game. I was sitting even with the Bulgarian keeper in the lower level and a ball was lofted into the Italian area. The ball was being brought under control by the Italian defense but as that was going on, a Bulgarian player and another forward on Italy shook hands. They were doing this with several minutes left in the game.

The big moment that followed, I'll never forget. After time ended and Italy won 2-1 all the players were off the pitch. For some reason Baggio was the last player at midfield leaving the field. The whole stadium then broke out into applause for him. He was the only player on the field for either team at the moment. He acknowledged the crowd and it turned out to be Baggio's last great moment in the tournament.

Going into the final, his leg injury was something of constant concern. He played but should have let Signori of Lazio take his place. As he didn't, he landed up taking the eventual penalty with his injury and pulled up short sailing the ball over the left end of the crossbar. (I was behind the goal at the upper end of the stadium in Pasadena for that one.)

I had started a story, the Miracle that is Italia after the final. I never finished it as the internet was still young at the time. Such is life. I was there for all of it.