In 1988, the United States was awarded the bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup—a golden opportunity to ignite the growth of soccer in the country.
Following the tournament's success, the U.S. Soccer Federatio, led by President Alan Rothenberg honored its promise to FIFA by launching a professional soccer league in the U.S.
In fact, preparations had already begun a year earlier, in 1993. The USSF had quietly laid the foundation, securing banking partners and assembling marketing teams in anticipation of the league's creation. Their goal was to keep the momentum alive and build something sustainable in the wake of the World Cup.
Richard hadn't slept a wink the night before.
Between heated conversations about Yahoo's issues and a surprise phone call from Vince McMahon, his mind was racing.
McMahon had reached out with an unexpected proposal: an opportunity to invest in a new team as MLS prepared for its official launch.
Naturally, Richard was intrigued. He wanted in.
