GREEK NATIONAL SOCCER PLAYERS SMOKING AT WORLD CUP 1994
“The players, smoking and coffee, the day of the game, they are just sitting there. Fast forward, this is why they were horrible.”
Attending the 1994 world cup in boston
My sister, dad, and cousin are from Greece. We drove from Niagara Falls, Canada, to Boston. On the day of the game, Greece was playing Nigeria. This is why they sucked. My cousin was friends with, I think it was #4 Apostolopoulos, who was a defender on the national team. On the day of the game, the day of, they are playing a World Cup game. We are going to go to the hotel and we are going to meet the team and Apostolakis.
This was the game day of the biggest tournament of the world, and we had access. We pull up. It was a Holiday Inn-type thing. In the lobby, the coaches, the players. This is ingrained in my head. I'm the 12-year-old dork now, I have the Greece hat, the Diadora shirt. I am going around and getting autographs. Everyone is signing the soccer ball. I was in heaven. The players, smoking and coffee, the day of the game, they are just sitting there. Fast forward, this is why they were horrible.
At 13 years old, my father bought us tickets to the 1994 World Cup in Boston, Massachusetts to watch Greece play Nigeria. What a trip!
This is my soccer ball still in my possession that was signed in person by every player and coach from the 1994 World Cup Soccer team.
Greece hat signed by the Hellenic National Soccer Team.
World Cup 1994
The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th edition of the international football (soccer) tournament, and it was hosted by the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. Here are some key highlights and information about the tournament:
Host Country: United States
Champion: Brazil
Runner-Up: Italy
Golden Ball (Best Player): Romário (Brazil)
Golden Shoe (Top Scorer): Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria) and Oleg Salenko (Russia)
Number of Teams: 24
Number of Matches: 52
Venues: Matches were played in various cities across the United States, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Dallas, and more.
Key Highlights:
Expansion: The 1994 World Cup marked the first time the tournament expanded to 24 teams, up from 22 in previous editions.
Finals Format: The tournament featured a group stage followed by knockout rounds, leading to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final match.
Defending Champions: The defending champions, West Germany (now unified Germany), were not able to defend their title as they did not qualify for the tournament.
Italy vs. Brazil Final: The final match was held at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. Brazil defeated Italy in a penalty shootout after the match ended in a 0-0 draw after extra time. This was Brazil's fourth World Cup victory.
High-Scoring Matches: The tournament featured several high-scoring matches, with Bulgaria's Hristo Stoichkov and Russia's Oleg Salenko sharing the Golden Shoe award for being the top goal scorers.
Romário's Performance: Romário, a Brazilian forward, was awarded the Golden Ball for his outstanding performances throughout the tournament.
Colombian Tragedy: The tournament was marred by a tragedy involving the Colombian national team. Colombian defender Andrés Escobar scored an own goal during a match against the United States, contributing to Colombia's elimination from the tournament. Tragically, Escobar was murdered after returning to Colombia, allegedly due to the own goal.
Record Attendance: The 1994 World Cup set a record for total attendance, with over 3.5 million spectators attending matches.
Introduction of the Back Pass Rule: The 1994 World Cup saw the introduction of the "back pass rule," which prevented goalkeepers from handling the ball after deliberate passes from their teammates.
The 1994 FIFA World Cup is remembered for its significant impact on soccer's popularity in the United States and for introducing the sport to new audiences. The tournament played a role in the growth of soccer in the country and paved the way for the establishment of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the years that followed.
Greek National Soccer Team in the world cup in 1994
Here are the details of Greece's participation in the tournament:
Participation: Greece qualified for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which was held in the United States.
Group Stage: Greece was drawn into Group D alongside Argentina, Nigeria, and Bulgaria.
Matches:
Greece vs. Argentina (June 21, 1994): Greece lost to Argentina 4-0.
Greece vs. Nigeria (June 25, 1994): Greece lost to Nigeria 2-0.
Greece vs. Bulgaria (June 30, 1994): Greece lost to Bulgaria 4-0.
Outcome: Greece finished last in their group, failing to win any matches and not progressing to the knockout rounds.
The 1994 World Cup marked Greece's first-ever participation in the tournament. Despite not achieving success in terms of results, the experience was significant for Greek soccer and represented a step on their journey in international football competitions.
Greek National Soccer Team roster at the world cup 1994
During the 1994 FIFA World Cup held in the United States, the Greek National Soccer Team had the following squad members:
Goalkeepers:
Antonios Minou
Konstantinos Loumpoutis
Nikolaos Kounenakis
Defenders: 4. Dimitrios Saravakos
Stratos Apostolakis
Stylianos Venetidis
Elias Vosinas
Theodoros Zagorakis
Ioannis Kalitzakis
Petros Mavros
Panagiotis Tsalouchidis
Midfielders: 12. Athanasios Kostoulas
Dimitrios Markos
Evangelos Oikonomou
Anastasios Mitropoulos
Konstantinos Tsanas
Forwards: 17. Angelos Basinas
Panagiotis Giatzitzoglou
Nikos Machlas
Efthimios Kouloucheris
Michail Kapsis
Georgios Amanatidis
Greece participated in the 1994 World Cup as part of Group D, alongside Argentina, Bulgaria, and Nigeria. However, the team did not advance beyond the group stage, finishing in fourth place in their group. This marked Greece's first-ever appearance in the FIFA World Cup.
Please note that rosters may have variations and changes depending on injuries, tactical decisions, and other factors during the tournament.
