[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header-nav":3,"footer-nav":29,"article-usa-94-goalless-joy-changed-world-cups":82,"category-counts-nav":94,"related-usa-94-goalless-joy-changed-world-cups":105},[4,8,11,14,17,20,23,26],{"label":5,"to":6,"exact":7},"Home","\u002F",true,{"label":9,"to":10},"World Cup","\u002Fworldcup",{"label":12,"to":13},"Standings","\u002Fstandings",{"label":15,"to":16},"Football","\u002Fcategory\u002Ffootball",{"label":18,"to":19},"Basketball","\u002Fcategory\u002Fbasketball",{"label":21,"to":22},"Tennis","\u002Fcategory\u002Ftennis",{"label":24,"to":25},"F1","\u002Fcategory\u002Ff1",{"label":27,"to":28},"Long Reads","\u002Fcategory\u002Flong-reads",{"brand":30,"columns":32,"tagline":80,"copyright":81},{"description":31},"In-depth sports journalism covering football, basketball, tennis, F1, and beyond. Daily analysis, long reads, and expert opinion.",[33,51,59],{"heading":34,"links":35},"Leagues",[36,39,42,45,48],{"label":37,"to":38},"Premier League","\u002Ftag\u002Fpremier-league",{"label":40,"to":41},"La Liga","\u002Ftag\u002Fla-liga",{"label":43,"to":44},"NBA","\u002Ftag\u002Fnba",{"label":46,"to":47},"Formula 1","\u002Ftag\u002Fformula-1",{"label":49,"to":50},"Champions League","\u002Ftag\u002Fchampions-league",{"heading":52,"links":53},"Content",[54,56,57],{"label":55,"to":16},"Analysis",{"label":27,"to":28},{"label":58,"to":16},"Data & Stats",{"heading":60,"links":61},"Company",[62,65,68,71,74,77],{"label":63,"to":64},"Terms of Service","\u002Fservice",{"label":66,"to":67},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy",{"label":69,"to":70},"Editorial Policy","\u002Feditorial",{"label":72,"to":73},"Contact Us","\u002Fcontact",{"label":75,"to":76},"About Us","\u002Fabout",{"label":78,"to":79},"Website Disclaimer","\u002Fdisclaimer","Built for the love of sport","© SportPulse. All rights reserved.",{"title":83,"slug":84,"category":15,"badge":85,"author":86,"excerpt":87,"date":88,"readTime":89,"image":90,"imageAlt":83,"tags":91,"body":92,"_path":93},"USA 94: The Goalless Joy That Changed World Cups Forever","usa-94-goalless-joy-changed-world-cups","Feature","Alex Richards","A skint 23-year-old's two weeks at USA 94, featuring two goalless draws, captured the curious dawn of the modern World Cup.","2026-06-10","2 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002F3958c92c54692911177596e99df7097ba6d92118\u002F0_0_2500_2000\u002Fmaster\u002F2500.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=05bb3c40c22d2e034aeefc4b76aa1992",[9],"USA 94 was a tournament caught between two eras. It was the World Cup’s awkward but thrilling leap into commercialised modernity, a template for the behemoth returning to North America this summer. For one **23-year-old earning just £9,000 a year**, it was also the trip of a lifetime.\n\n## A Shoestring Pilgrimage\nWith **two weeks** and a student mate, Paddy, the mission was simple: soak up any football atmosphere America could muster. They managed only **two matches**, both ending **0-0**. But the scoreline was never the point.\n\n### The Budget Traveler’s World Cup\n- **£9,000** annual salary\n- **Two weeks** travelling through the host nation\n- **Two matches** attended, both **goalless draws**\n- Cities visited and fan zones explored beyond the stadiums\n\n> “We took in only two games – both goalless draws – but soaked up enough of the occasionally raucous, often tepid, atmosphere for it to remain a personal favourite.”\n\n## The Games That Defined a Trip\nThe football was secondary. USA 94 delivered a sensory overload: tailgate parties, unfamiliar chants, and a curious American public still learning the game. It was **raucous in pockets**, **tepid in stretches**, but utterly unforgettable.\n\n### When the Ball Barely Moved\n- First match: a cautious tactical stalemate, the crowd roaring at throw-ins\n- Second match: equally scoreless, yet the stadium spectacle amplified everything\n- The contrast: modern World Cups demand goals; 1994 let the event breathe\n\n## The Commercial Blueprint\nWhat felt experimental then now looks prophetic. USA 94 broke attendance records, leveraged massive venues, and introduced the World Cup to corporate America. **Thirty-two years later**, the tournament returns twice as big and at least **twice as lucrative**.\n\n### By the Numbers: 1994 vs 2026\n- **1994**: **24 teams**, **52 matches**, **3.6 million** attendees\n- **2026**: **48 teams**, **104 matches**, projected to double attendance figures\n- The commercial gap? FIFA’s revenue from the World Cup has multiplied many times over\n\nThe 1994 edition didn’t just host football; it sold it. That commercial instinct now drives every FIFA decision, for better or worse. Yet for those two weeks, a skint 23-year-old and his mate didn’t care about balance sheets. They were part of something **curious, distinctive, and joyfully incomplete**. Two goalless draws never meant so much.","\u002Farticles\u002Fusa-94-goalless-joy-changed-world-cups",[95,96,97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104],"analysis","basketball","cricket","f1","football","general","golf","mma","long-reads","tennis",[106,117,127],{"id":107,"stem":107,"path":108,"title":109,"category":15,"badge":85,"badgeType":110,"author":111,"authorRole":112,"authorInitials":113,"date":88,"readTime":89,"image":114,"imageAlt":109,"tags":115,"excerpt":116},"akhmetov-five-seconds-from-death","\u002Farticles\u002Fakhmetov-five-seconds-from-death","I Was Five Seconds from Death: Akhmetov on Shakhtar's 90-Year Fight","category","SportPulse Staff","SportPulse Contributor","SS","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002F0e8d7675d15ed72cd44c9407e924c9a3fd2b18dd\u002F400_0_2000_1600\u002Fmaster\u002F2000.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=6e35a573ddd81160ec1b8f2829a3a623","Ukrainian Premier League","A rare interview with Ukraine's richest man reveals the defiance behind Shakhtar Donetsk's remarkable survival.",{"id":118,"stem":118,"path":119,"title":120,"category":15,"badge":85,"badgeType":110,"author":121,"authorRole":112,"authorInitials":122,"date":123,"readTime":124,"image":125,"imageAlt":120,"tags":9,"excerpt":126},"bbc-sport-launches-world-cup-predictor-game","\u002Farticles\u002Fbbc-sport-launches-world-cup-predictor-game","BBC Sport Drops New World Cup Predictor Game","Marcus Delvecchio","MD","2026-06-18","1 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F976\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002F1890\u002Flive\u002Fdaffe870-5f51-11f1-89a3-d1f559421220.jpg","BBC Sport launches its World Cup predictor game, offering fans the chance to win signed football merchandise.",{"id":128,"stem":128,"path":129,"title":130,"category":15,"badge":85,"badgeType":110,"author":131,"authorRole":112,"authorInitials":132,"date":88,"readTime":89,"image":133,"imageAlt":130,"tags":37,"excerpt":134},"arsenal-title-visceral-high-scars-heals","\u002Farticles\u002Farsenal-title-visceral-high-scars-heals","Arsenal's Title: A Visceral High That Scars and Heals","Alex Mason","AM","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002Fd2576ed10144ec747585a4cb5ec8c4b99751ade0\u002F889_0_7911_6328\u002Fmaster\u002F7911.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=a1406431ade5970799eccf8753639702","The Gunners' long-awaited Premier League crown delivered a flood of emotion, from flare smoke to tears, proving sport's unique power to bond and transform."]