Des
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The Man
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Content
S.NO. Topics Pg. NO.
1. Reason to choose topic
2. FIFA World Cup
3. The 1994 World Cup
4. Tribulations of the event
5. The Finale!
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography
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Reason to choose topic:
‘Could have killed myself that day and
wouldn't have felt anything’
- Roberto Baggio
As the first final to be decided by a
penalty shootout, it introduced an
intense and nerve-wracking finish never
seen before on football’s biggest
stage.The match featured some of the
era’s greatest players, including
Romário, Bebeto, Paolo Maldini, and
Roberto Baggio, whose heartbreaking
missed penalty sealed Italy’s fate.This
match taught me that Even the Best
Fail sometimes after Roberto’s
crucial miss.His story teaches us that
even in failure, there is dignity,
courage,
and a lesson to move forward
with strength.
FIFA World Cup:
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There is nothing in football that can
compare with the World Cup. Even
though the UEFA Champions League
may produce games of the same quality,
it can't overreach the status earned from
the long tradition and the fact that one
team represent a whole country.
The first official World Cup was played in
Uruguay 1930, and since when the
tournament has been held every fourth
year (with exceptions for interruption
due to the Second World War). There
were, however, unofficial pre FIFA World
Cups already in the late 1800s, in a time
when only few national teams existed.
The 1994 World Cup:
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The 15th World Cup was played in United
States from 17 June to 17 July. The final stage
of FIFA World Cup was preceded by a
qualification that included 147 national
teams. Among these 24 would go on to the
World Cup final tournament, including the
automatically qualified United Stated as the
home team and Germany as the reigning
champions. Greece, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia
had succeeded in qualifying for the first time.
FIFA made some changes with the idea to
create a more offensive game in the 1994
World Cup.
The World Cup trophy would once again be
lifted by Brazilians players and their
striker Romário was arguably the biggest
reason to it. The last game was, however an
example of how hesitant and careful a final in
big football tournaments sometimes tend to
be.
Tribulations of the event:
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Two events that not occurred chiefly
on the pitch shadowed the sporting
aspects.
1. The first was Diego
Maradona that abruptly departed
from the tournament after testing
positive for ephedrine, a non allowed
substance used for weight
loss.Argentina had to manage
without him in the remaining
matches (his substitute Ortega, who
presented a playing style what
mirrored Maradona's, got instead a
breakthrough).
2. The second event that gave a
shadow over the tournament was the
gruesome murder of the Colombian
defender Andrés Escobar whose
unlucky own goal against United
States would lead to him getting
murdered after he returned to
Colombia.
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The Finale!
17th July ,1994. In the calm streets of
California, Rose Bowl was brighter
than the descending twilight.
Fireworks exploded with people
flooding the stadium. It was the
moment the whole footballing world
was waiting for, The World Cup Final.
This event unites many, brings about
rivalry, glorifies nation and it’s
people. It brings about the passion
and pride making oneself to believe
and celebrate the win as his own and
mourn for the loss.
Footballing Giants Brazil who had an
easy campaign were up against The
Blues, Italy led till this stage on his
own by Roberto Baggio. Every
spectator awaited a match of goals
galore as both teams used their
attack as their method of defence.
The match kicked off. To everyone’s
astonishment both the teams played
quiet feeling the final pressure. The
heat tired away the players who
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played with their last bit of
adrenaline for their people and
nation. The match went onto extra
time with no goals scored by both.
Next thirty minutes passed in a snap
and it was the time for penalties to
decide the game. This already made
this tournament a special one to
have penalties as the ultimatum to
decide the winner.
Brazil scored one, defending two.
Their keeper turned out to be the
saviour of the match. Baggio stepped
in. His penalty would decide whether
the trophy would head towards the
origin of pasta or to the land of
rainforest. Everyone were confident
of him more than himself. People
were on edge of their seats. The
whistle blew signaling to take the
penalty. He took a stride and kicked
the leather
sphere. Everyone’s eyes were on the
ball but this man held his head low…
Conclusion:
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The ball crossed over the post to the
crowd. The lethal finisher of the ball now
had missed a sitter. There was complete
silence making it the loudest noise for
the Italian forward. He stood in that
place like a rock. The man who carried
the team from the beginning to the
final , tackling the Brazil giants with the
defense to finally lose out on penalties
with his crucial miss. Any Italian would
want to change the outcome sparing his
own life. The Brazil team erupted in
celebration of lifting their fourth World
Cup, while the Blues stood in dismay
with their silvers hanging.
In the grand theater of the Rose Bowl,
joy and sorrow danced together,
reminding the world that football is as
much about heartbreak as it is about
glory. And so, beneath the golden sky of
Pasadena, a new chapter was written—
one of victory, of loss, and of the
timeless beauty of the beautiful game.
Bibliography:
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1. https://sports.ndtv.com/
2. https://www.footballhistory.org/
3. https://www.fifa.com/en
4. https://www.foxsports.com/
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