The last time the men’s World Cup came to the United States, in 1994, my Midtown Manhattan office filled with colleagues from Central and South America who embodied the passion for the Beautiful Game. What the rest of the world knows as football and Americans know as soccer took over a glorious summer that delivered an epic championship carried live on Spanish-language television network Univision and simultaneously on the Spanish-language talk station Radio Wado 1280 AM, which could only be heard in the men’s restroom. In a rotating bathroom residency, my colleagues followed every minute, seeking the seemingly small indulgence of listening to Norberto “Titi” Longo and the now famous Andrés Cantor analyze every play, calling a “goooooool” as rhythmic crowds chanted for their team.
That tournament delivered epic goals, culminating in a record fourth championship win for Brazil, leaving Latino communities all over the United States brimming with pride and dancing in celebration. This World Cup is different.
