Soccer fans fill the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., prior to the World Cup final between Brazil and Italy on July 17, 1994.

Soccer — or football as it’s known around the globe — was far from mainstream in the U.S. leading up to the 1994 World Cup. But in the end, the tournament was considered a resounding success. How exactly did that happen?

(Image credit: Lois Bernstein)