Stimulating sports: Death of a dream part 2: The rise and fall of Colombia and World Cup '94

With the cheers from their famous qualifying victory over Argentina undoubtedly still ringing in their ears, the star-studded Colombian squad arrived in the United States for the 1994 World Cup. And what a squad it was, undoubtedly the best generation of players the country has ever turned out.

In goal was the rock-solid Oscar Cordoba. Cordoba, who pulled off a string of brave saves in the Argentina victory, earned 73 caps for the national team, surpassing Rene Higuita to become his nation's most capped keeper. Operating largely as a "sweeper-keeper," Cordoba frequently used his passing skills to quickly start Colombia's lightning attacks upfield. The defense was steady, featuring the ill-fated Andres Escobar, veteran Luis "Chonto" Herrera and Luis "Coroncoro" Perea, who earned 78 caps for his country.

Those guys provided the steak, but what this bunch is mostly remembered for was the sizzle. The ringleader, of course, was one of the greatest players of his generation, midfielder Carlos Valderrama.
Known as "El Pibe (The Kid)" and recognized throughout the world by his frizzy blonde-orangey Afro, Valderrama's 22-year career saw him star in his home country and in France for Montpellier before he became one of the early heroes of the fledgling Major League Soccer in the United States. He made 111 national team appearances, deftly pulling the strings and organizing Colombia's attack with his stylish passing and lightning-fast footballing brain.

Providing the physicality to balance Valderrama's creativity was Leonel Alvarez. Alvarez starred for the national team between 1985 and 1995 and earned 101 caps, second only to Valderrama on Colombia's all-time list. Joining these two in a stellar midfield was Freddy Rincon, who signed with Parma on the heels of his performance in the Argentina demolition and later went on to (undistinguished) spells at Napoli and Real Madrid.

Up front, "Los Cafeteros" were bolstered by some lethal finishing. Long-limbed and nimble, Faustino Asprilla was known as "El Pulpo (The Octopus)" for his Plastic Man-like style on the field. A scorer of 20 goals in 57 national team appearances, Asprilla provided the coup de grace against Argentina, deftly chipping goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea to score Colombia's fourth. He later went on to become a cult hero at Newcastle United, after joining the team at the tail end of the "Entertainers" era. Also on hand was Adolfo "El Tren" Valencia, a hard-charging powerhouse of a striker who was famously earned the (racist) wrath of borderline-insane Atletico Madrid president Jesus Gil ("that black guy needs to have his throat cut").

The coach of this vast array of talent was Francisco "Pacho" Maturana. Maturana, who played professionally while attending the University of Antioquia (where he later earned a degree in dentistry), began his career at Once Caldas.

Soon he was coaching Colombia's youth team and was the head man when "Los Cafeteros" finished third in the 1987 Copa America. He then guided the team to the 1990 World Cup, ending a 28-year dry spell on the biggest stage. In 1993, the influential Spanish newspaper El Pais ranked him as the world's third-best manager.

Colombia opened its American campaign on June 18, playing Romania in front of over 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Early on, Maturana's men showed the skill that had prompted Pele to make his now infamous prediction that Colombia would win the World Cup. For 15 minutes, they demonstrated the sublime skill that had made them the pre-tournament darlings. But in the 16th, Florin Raducioiu took on three defenders before beating Cordoba to score Romania's first. The goal came completely against the run of play and the Colombians picked right back, passing brilliantly and creating chances yet failing to capitalize.

Instead, it was Romania taking its chances. Gheorghe Hagi caught Cordoba out of position and scored to make it 2-0 on 34 minutes. Colombia kept pressing though and finally broke through just before halftime when Valencia headed in a corner from Wilson Perez. More frustration was to follow after the break, as goalkeeper Bogdan Stelea made some neat saves to keep his team in front. Instead of an equalizer, Colombia conceded a third when Raducioiu scored in the 89th. And that was that. Colombia had dazzled but had also been beaten. Next up, a date four days later with the host country and a must-win if the Colombians were going to advance out of Group A.

As the 2010 tournament approaches, the United States is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Certainly not a favorite by any means but a talented, well-coached team of European-based players that is capable of beating anyone at anytime. That wasn't so in 1994. Back then, Uncle Sam's Army was made up of plodding foot soldiers, who made up for their lack of technical skill with plenty of grit and muscle. Colombia should have liked its chances--instead it was an unmitigated disaster.

True to form, the Americans started in a defensive posture, soaking up the Colombian pressure and relying on the counter-attack. Colombia nearly scored early, but Tab Ramos cleared a shot out of the goalmouth after Tony Meola failed to save Antony de Avila's shot. The game--and history--turned in the 35 minute. John Harkes' cross was deflected by Colombian defender Escobar into his own net, giving the underdogs a 1-0 lead. Normally the most reliable of defenders, it was an uncharacteristic mistake--Escobar was at full stretch trying to clear the ball and was simply unlucky. It's happened thousands of times.

The U.S. increased its lead in the 56th minute as Earnie Stewart tapped in a loose ball and Colombia couldn't reply until Valencia's 90th-minute strike. And just like that, Colombia was out of the World Cup. Two matches, two unexpected defeats and a meaningless 2-0 victory over Switzerland in the last group game as an unwanted consolation prize.

The squad returned home while the tournament continued without them. On July 2, just 10 days after the loss to the Americans, Escobar was gunned down outside of the "El Indio" bar, located in the Medellin suburbs.

While never definitively proven, it's widely believed and commonly accepted that Escobar was murdered by drug factions who had bet large sums of money on Colombia reaching the second round, something that was prevented largely because of his own goal. Indeed, it's reputed that his gunman shouted "Goooooooaaaaal," a cruel mocking of the way South American commentators celebrate a score. Escobar's funeral was attended by 120,000 people. The gunman, Humberto Munoz Castro, was sentenced to 43 years but was released on good behavior in 2005.

Colombian football hasn't been the same since.