But the game that really put football in to my veins… ’82 World Cup, Brazil v Italy which happened to be on my 10th birthday…

Rossi, Socrates, Eder, Falcao, Zoff, Tardelli, Zico… What a game, what skill, what exotic names!!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GLUbqxJjokA

Great memories… in the playground for months afterwards, when a goal went in it was ZICOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Thanks for the post Kenny…

Then in Mexico 86 I followed it more closely, through the newspapers (this was before the “Internets”), and managed to find the Argentina-West Germany final on TV. But still, I didn’t really begin to follow the game.

It was only when the USA qualified for the first time in 40 years, while beating Trinidad & Tobago that I really began to follow the game. Also, I was visiting distant relatives in Croatia (still part of the former Yugoslavia at the time). The coverage of Italia 90 was excellent, and I managed to watch all three USA games, the infamous West Germany-Netherlands game, Cameroon’s surprises, England’s fight to the semis where they lost, etc. As it happened I missed the final (and glad I did, apparently it wasn’t the greatest of finals…). But from that point… let’s call it the 1989-90 year… I was hooked. I managed to get tickets for the group games in the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, and saw the USA tie Switzerland… brought my 13-star US flag and ran down, then up the steps when the USA scored.

That’s all World Cups… It took me until Newcastle’s miracle run of 95-96 to become a fan of a club (again, was overseas, listening to BBC every weekend, and the MLS had not yet started until mid-96). I’ve found since it’s like being a Cubs fan (I Iived in Chicago from 98-00), but I don’t mind. I can’t change. And I have to say, it’s not boring following Newcastle I laugh/wince whenever I hear Keegan’s rant, bertz… Damn that Cantona :-

@hock: Baggio is a true legend. I still can’t get over his penalty miss at the finals of ’94. What a pity.

But the first time I got into watching football was at the 1998 World Cup. My dad took me aside one evening and he told me all about it. I watched several games and was delighted when Petrescu (Romania DR – who used to play for Chelsea at the time) scored between Seaman’s legs in the last minute of play to secure a 3-2 win. It was then that I first saw Beckham (coming off the bench) and I grew obbsessed with him – I do not know why.

Over the next year (the famous treble year) I watched two competitions: the Champions League and the Seria A. Staying late to watch football was never agreable with mom, but my father always defended me on this and thus I watched every single Man Utd champions League game that year. I was not a fan at the beginning of the season, but after Beckham’s free kick against Barcelona I fell in love with the Red Devils.

I had a major dillema however in the quarter-finals of the competition when the played Inter. Baggio was a hero for me too and Inter was the team I supported in the Seria A (for I did not know of any other leagues). I was not happy when Man Utd went though after one memorable game and one which I cannot remember, but I was not sad either. Beckham proved to be better than Baggio and Peter S. proved to be the best goalkeeper in the world, just like my grandfather told me.

As Solskjaer did *THAT* thing on *THAT* night, I was elated. I did not know about the Trble, I did not know about the FA Cup or the Premier League. I was just very happy that Beyern lost and eternally grateful for 20LE for sealing that win.

It was the most memorable year of my life and there are details of it that I will never forget and which others cannot remeber (Beckham’s mesmerizing shot against Bayern in the group stages of the competition which Kahn punched away is one example).

Realy enjoyed reading the article and reminding myself of those special years.

Btw, I have every single sticker from it too!