Brazilian football star Pelé and U.S. singer Whitney Houston run during the closing ceremony of the 15th World Cup football at Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena before the final between Brazil and Italy on July 17, 1994. Mike Nelson/AFP via Getty Images
Well before the announcement that the 2026 FIFA World Cup championship would be decided at MetLife Stadium later in July, there was already a rich soccer history in the New Jersey Meadowlands.
The groundwork laid by the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the 1970s paved the way for the United States to host its first World Cup tournament in 1994.
Don has covered pro baseball for several decades, beginning in the minor leagues as a radio broadcaster in the NY Mets organization. His Ice Chips & Diamond Dust blog ran from 2012-2020 at uticaod.com. His baseball passion surrounds anything concerning the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and writing features on the players and staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Don currently resides in southwest Florida.
