I GREW UP WATCHING THE WORLD Cup every four years, but it wasn't easy. It may be difficult for a lot of people around the world to understand now, but in the '70s when I was starting out playing youth soccer, the sport really wasn't that well known in the United States.
In my hometown of Westlake Village, California, you couldn't really find the tournament on TV; if you wanted to watch any soccer games, you had to go to your local Mexican restaurant. To this day, I remember paying five dollars to stand in the back room of a Cisco's restaurant with 20 or 30 people watching the game on satellite, that's how it was.
I was part of the first generation that went through the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). It was one of those things where I was pretty good at it, so with success, you tend to have a little more joy and stick with it.
I hadn't grown up thinking I was going to play soccer professionally, but things kind of kept falling into place. I did have setbacks, including not being recruited to play in college and being cut from the Olympic soccer team before making the final roster. In those moments, I thought: "Should I quit?" But I give all the credit to my mom for keeping me going.
I ended up making the Olympic soccer team in 1992. I still remember playing against Italy and having a good game, which I think always makes people pay attention. But that's where I thought my career was going to end. I thought: "I've played in the Olympics, I'll go back to college and call it a day." But shortly afterwards, I got the call to join the national team and thought I'd give it a shot.
My First World Cup Experience
MY FIRST TIME WALKING ONTO THE World Cup pitch in 1994 was incredible. I'd come on as a substitute in the first game against Switzerland. It's the pinnacle of our sport at the highest level, representing your country at the World Cup, there's nothing like it.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Mystery of Ginger Cat Is out of the Bag
The genetics behind the vibrant orange color in feline coats is finally confirmed after 112 years
Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie
PARIS HILTON AND NICOLE RICHIE ARE READY TO BRING A LITTLE “SANASA” to the world with Peacock's Paris & Nicole: The Encore, their first project together since their reality show The Simple Life ended in 2007. What's “sanasa”? It's a song and phrase the longtime friends created as kids and popularized on The Simple Life. The show, a cultural phenomenon in the early days of reality TV, followed them over a series of blue-collar jobs. Now they're bringing it back as an opera. “I know this is just going to make people laugh, have fun, be nostalgic and just celebrate our friendship,” Hilton said. While Richie acknowledged “you can't do Simple Life again,” she said now “felt like the right time.” The famous pair also revisit some old jobs in Arkansas, like fast-food chain Sonic, where they now have drinks named for them. “I think that there is a part of our friend- ship that the show ended up showing that people connect to,” Richie said. As for this new special, Hilton is glad to do something positive for their fans. “It's been such a crazy past couple years, and I just feel like the world needs more joy.”
What Next for Your Drugstore?
Walgreens and Amazon are placing opposing bets on the future of retail pharmacy
AMERICA'S GREATEST WORKPLACES for Diversity
AS COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO navigate the evolving dynamics of the workplace, diversity remains a cornerstone of organizational success and social responsibility.
FIGHTING SPIRITS
ANDREA MCCARTHY TOLD FRIENDS and family when she gave up alcohol on January 1, 2024, that she would toast 12 months off the sauce with a drink to ring in 2025. As that anniversary approached, the Los Angeles-born content creator told Newsweek she had had a change of heart.
Lessons Over Lunch
Ninety-year-old volunteer Hugh showed me how the winter years can be full of purpose
Is California's Green Dream Hot Air?
The state aims to rely on zero-carbon energy sources in two decades' time but has hurdles to overcome along the way
Power Struggle
As the dust settles following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, new front lines could be drawn in Syria's old civil war
Downsizing Goes Bust for Boomers
Rising property costs are not just affecting young Americans—older people are ‘aging in place’ due to a dearth of affordable accessible housing
Ray Romano
\"I read about three scripts, and at the end of each there was a little twist, a little turn, [and] it was funny.\"
