Despite passionate fans and Pelé's superstar arrival in the NASL, the sport stumbled and slipped from the spotlight; when the pro league collapsed in the 1980s, American soccer seemed finished; then came the 1984 Olympics and a startling success.

U.S. Soccer Federation president Alan Rothenberg takes on the task of staging the 1994 FIFA World Cup; he must deliver a tournament that satisfies FIFA and the global soccer community while convincing Americans that soccer belongs in their country.

Major League Soccer launches in 1996 with the promise of building on the success of the 1994 World Cup; cable television, the internet, and video games connect American fans to soccer around the world.