Marcelo Balboa was a fixture on US Men's National Team during its ascension in the early 1990s. He played a key role on the 1990 World Cup team and is among the most memorable figures on the 1994 World Cup roster. In fact, Balboa is so inextricably intertwined with the evolution of American soccer at that time, that he is maybe best remembered for a near-miss bicycle kick in the team's win over Colombia in 94.
Balboa also represents so many other key themes around soccer's growth in America -- he is of Argentinian descent and has been a key symbol of hispanic and latino populations in the US driving the game forward. The defender was a stalwart of the early years of MLS and so much more. He continues to work around the game as broadcaster to this day.
He joined Founding Futbol to talk about how the game has changed over the last few decades and touches on where it may be headed.
Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America.
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Host: Kent Malmros
Guest: Marcelo Balboa (Former USMNT and MLS Player)
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