THE WORLD CUP GAME THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
BY THE AGENCY AUSTIN - MAELIA DAVIS
It was June 1994, and I was working at Univision in Los Angeles as a sales assistant, making copies and learning the television business. One day, my boss told me that he was going to need my help inside the VIP suite at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for a big soccer game that was coming to town. Everyone around me had World Cup fever, but I had no clue what it was, why it was such a big deal…and had honestly never watched a soccer game in my life. I have always assumed that’s why my boss thought it would be a good idea to have me work (I wouldn’t be distracted by the game). As a Cuban, it’s not a sport that is part of our culture.
As the day unfolded, in my mind, I was comparing it to the Super Bowl. Little did I know then that the World Cup eclipses the Super Bowl on a global level. The WORLD watches the World Cup.
The game I was attending that fateful June day was between Colombia and the United States in the Group Stage of the tournament. Whoever won the game would essentially eliminate the other team from advancing. Fans had their faces painted, flags everywhere, and there were actually more Colombian fans than USA fans. Soccer was still not very popular in the US.
Little known fact, that 1994 USA team is considered one of the best we have ever had. And Colombia was picked to be one of the tournament’s favorites and had just demolished Argentina 5-0.
As I was serving sushi and chips & salsa to the VIP clients in our suite, in the 35th minute, Colombian defender Andrés Escobar deflected a cross into his own net, trying to clear a ball from American midfielder John Harkes. I can’t describe the moment well enough for you to understand the sound that erupted from the nearly 94,000 in attendance that day. But I still get chills when I think about it. I didn’t understand the severity of that own goal. But people around me were buzzing, saying that this player was as good as dead.
Ten days after that game, Andres Escobar was murdered outside a bar in his hometown of Medellin. I remember watching the news in disbelief. How could someone get KILLED over losing a soccer game? And that is when the importance of the World Cup for the rest of the world started to sink in. There’s actually a show on Netflix called The Two Escobars that covers this if you are interested.
The US made it to the Round of 16 that year, losing to eventual champions Brazil 1-0 — considered a respectable result and a huge moment for American soccer. That team basically put US soccer on the map and laid the groundwork for MLS launching in 1996.
STARS OF THAT 1994 TEAM USA
- Tony Meola — Goalkeeper, one of the best the US has ever produced, & briefly pursued an NFL career as a kicker for the NY Jets
- Tab Ramos — Creative midfielder, the most technically gifted American player of his era
- John Harkes — Midfielder, first American to play in the English Premier League (claim to fame the Escobar own goal)
- Cobi Jones — Fast, exciting winger with dreadlocks, became one of the most recognizable faces of US soccer
- Alexi Lalas — Defender, known for his wild red hair and beard — became the face of American soccer internationally
- Marcelo Balboa — Defender, known for his bicycle kicks, and was nominated for FIFA Goal of the Year that tournament
- Eric Wynalda — Forward, scored one of the great free-kick goals of the tournament against Switzerland
I currently live in the Houston area and the majority of my friends don’t “get” the World Cup. While I am planning my life around each of the live games this summer, friends are barely aware that it’s going on. I tell my story about that Colombia vs. USA game to anyone who will listen because I want this country to get with the program. We are hosting the WORLD’S game, and the majority of Americans are unaware.
And then Freddy happened.
Some random guy named Freddy traveled from Germany to the US to attend the World Cup. We don’t even know what he looks like. His profile photo is of Ronaldo (Portugal team and GOAT). He decided to document his travels through America on Twitter. He has single-handedly bridged the gap between what America thinks of the World Cup and how the rest of the world sees it. He should be paid by the American Tourism Board. He posts each day about what he finds as he drives through the Southern part of the country.
So far, he has eaten at Taco Bell, Chik-fil-A, In n Out…he’s had the brisket sandwich at Bucee’s and has wandered through Walmart and Bass Pro Shop. I love the way Freddy appreciates our country and the fact that we have bottomless chips and salsa, as well as free refills on drinks. There’s also a guy from South Africa who keeps posting himself walking around at midnight all over America, laughing hysterically because he can’t do that in his own country without getting killed.
And just like that (and millions of views later), America is waking up to having all these wonderful visitors from all over the world traipsing through all that we take for granted. And there’s been an awakening to the World Cup. Our team captain has been dubbed Captain America! The last I heard, Freddy was meeting up with JJ Watt (Texas football royalty) in Houston to go catch the Germany vs. Curacao game.
I was lucky enough to be able to experience every World Cup since 1994 because of my job at Univision. But not a single game has compared to the Colombia game 32 years ago. Both my boys played soccer since they could walk, and I got to be a soccer mom until they both went off to college. Now I’m counting the days until the July 4th Round of 16 game in Houston. It will be the first World Cup game that I will get to watch live in the stadium with my two boys sitting with me. It’s been on my bucket list since my oldest was born.
I don’t know which teams will be playing at that game. I’m hoping for a miracle with the US team, but regardless, I will be proudly wearing my red, white, and blue. I firmly believe even those who rarely wave the flag are finding themselves swept up in a rare moment of national pride thanks to Freddy, Captain America, and the World Cup.
I hope you take a moment to watch the Beautiful Game this month. You never know what can happen! It’s 32 years later, and I am still chasing that feeling from the June 1994 game.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maelia Davis is a proud member of The Agency M2 Property Group, where she serves as a listing specialist throughout the Houston, Rio Grande Valley, Austin, and Bryan-College Station regions. Specializing in helping sellers maximize their property value, Maelia leverages her extensive sales background and market knowledge to achieve exceptional results for her clients."I love getting to know my clients and being part of such an important moment in their lives-the ecstatic newlyweds, the sweetness of newborns as well as being there for the complexities of divorces," says Maelia.
With over a decade in real estate since 2014 and a remarkable $100 million in Texas sales, Maelia brings 30+ years of sales, marketing, and advertising expertise to every transaction. Her impressive career includes groundbreaking roles as the first woman General Manager of a major broadcast TV station in Los Angeles and the first Latina/Woman EVP Network Sales for Univision, where she spent 25 years honing her negotiation and business skills. Born in Guantanamo, Cuba, Maelia's diverse background includes living in Spain, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Texas, Florida, and California, giving her unique insights into the relocation process.
She holds degrees from Texas State University and studied communications at UT Austin. Maelia's real estate journey began in 1997 when she started flipping houses in Southern California while working in television. After moving to Houston in 2012, she earned her Broker's License in 2020 and now manages a team of 8 agents. In her free time, she enjoys walking, rowing, and spending time with her husband, two dogs, and six children scattered across different states. Maelia actively supports the MD Anderson annual toy drive at her office.
