# 1994 FIFA World Cup Group A

Group A of the 1994 FIFA World Cup was one of six groups of four teams competing at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The first matches were played June 18, 1994, and the final games took place simultaneously on June 26, 1994.
The group consisted of one CONCACAF team, the host United States; two UEFA teams, Switzerland and Romania; and one CONMEBOL team, Colombia. Romania won the group, Switzerland finished second and also the United States advanced to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams. Colombia finished last with only three points.

## Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Romania | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | United States (H) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 4 | Colombia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 | |

## Matches

All times listed are local time.

### United States vs Switzerland

| United States | Switzerland |
| GK | 1 | Tony Meola (c) |
| SW | 17 | Marcelo Balboa |
| RB | 4 | Cle Kooiman |
| CB | 22 | Alexi Lalas |
| LB | 20 | Paul Caligiuri |
| RM | 9 | Tab Ramos |
| CM | 16 | Mike Sorber |
| CM | 5 | Thomas Dooley |
| LM | 6 | John Harkes | 89' |
| CF | 8 | Earnie Stewart | | 81' |
| CF | 11 | Eric Wynalda | | 58' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 10 | Roy Wegerle | | 58' |
| FW | 13 | Cobi Jones | | 81' |
| Manager: ||
| Bora Milutinović ||
| GK | 1 | Marco Pascolo |
| SW | 5 | Alain Geiger (c) |
| RB | 2 | Marc Hottiger |
| CB | 4 | Dominique Herr | 26' |
| LB | 3 | Yvan Quentin |
| CM | 6 | Georges Bregy |
| CM | 10 | Ciriaco Sforza | | 77' |
| RW | 8 | Christophe Ohrel |
| AM | 16 | Thomas Bickel | | 72' |
| LW | 7 | Alain Sutter |
| CF | 11 | Stéphane Chapuisat |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 14 | Nestor Subiat | 82' | 72' |
| MF | 21 | Thomas Wyss | | 77' |
| Manager: ||
| Roy Hodgson ||
* Assistant referees:
* Ernesto Taibi (Argentina)
* Venancio Zarate (Paraguay)
* Fourth official:
* Ernesto Filippi (Uruguay)

### Colombia vs Romania

| Colombia | Romania |
| GK | 1 | Óscar Córdoba |
| RB | 4 | Luis Herrera | 36' |
| CB | 2 | Andrés Escobar |
| CB | 15 | Luis Carlos Perea |
| LB | 20 | Wilson Pérez |
| CM | 6 | Gabriel Gómez |
| CM | 14 | Leonel Álvarez | 70' |
| AM | 10 | Carlos Valderrama (c) | 53' |
| AM | 19 | Freddy Rincón |
| CF | 11 | Adolfo Valencia |
| CF | 21 | Faustino Asprilla |
| Manager: ||
| Francisco Maturana ||
| GK | 12 | Bogdan Stelea |
| SW | 4 | Miodrag Belodedici |
| CB | 3 | Daniel Prodan |
| CB | 14 | Gheorghe Mihali |
| RM | 2 | Dan Petrescu |
| CM | 6 | Gheorghe Popescu |
| CM | 5 | Ioan Lupescu |
| CM | 7 | Dorinel Munteanu |
| LM | 10 | Gheorghe Hagi (c) |
| CF | 9 | Florin Răducioiu | 39' | 90' |
| SS | 11 | Ilie Dumitrescu | | 68' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 13 | Tibor Selymes | | 68' |
| DF | 19 | Corneliu Papură | | 90' |
| Manager: ||
| Anghel Iordănescu ||
* Assistant referees:
* Yousif Abdullah Al Ghattan (Bahrain)
* Douglas Micael James (Trinidad and Tobago)
* Fourth official:
* Alberto Tejada Noriega (Peru)

### Romania vs Switzerland

| Romania | Switzerland |
| GK | 12 | Bogdan Stelea |
| SW | 4 | Miodrag Belodedici | 47' |
| CB | 3 | Daniel Prodan |
| CB | 14 | Gheorghe Mihali | 32' |
| RM | 2 | Dan Petrescu |
| CM | 5 | Ioan Lupescu | 40' | 85' |
| CM | 6 | Gheorghe Popescu |
| LM | 7 | Dorinel Munteanu |
| AM | 10 | Gheorghe Hagi (c) |
| CF | 9 | Florin Răducioiu |
| SS | 11 | Ilie Dumitrescu | | 70' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 15 | Basarab Panduru | | 85' |
| FW | 16 | Ion Vlădoiu | 73' | 70' |
| Manager: ||
| Anghel Iordănescu ||
| GK | 1 | Marco Pascolo |
| RB | 2 | Marc Hottiger |
| CB | 4 | Dominique Herr |
| CB | 5 | Alain Geiger (c) |
| LB | 3 | Yvan Quentin |
| RM | 8 | Christophe Ohrel | 83' |
| CM | 6 | Georges Bregy |
| CM | 10 | Ciriaco Sforza |
| LM | 7 | Alain Sutter | 71' |
| CF | 9 | Adrian Knup |
| CF | 11 | Stéphane Chapuisat |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 16 | Thomas Bickel | 71' |
| MF | 20 | Patrick Sylvestre | 83' |
| Manager: ||
| Roy Hodgson ||
* Assistant referees:
* Abdel-Magid Hassan (Egypt)
* Davoud Fanaei (Iran)
* Fourth official:
* Joël Quiniou (France)
Note: Switzerland's fourth goal is also credited to Georges Bregy.

### United States vs Colombia

The match between the United States and Colombia saw the United States go ahead with just over 10 minutes to play in the first half, when Colombia defender Andrés Escobar turned a United States cross into his own net. The United States extended their lead early in the second half through Earnie Stewart, while Colombia could only manage a last-minute consolation goal and ended up losing 2–1. The result was the first United States's win in a FIFA World Cup match since the historic United States vs. England in 1950 and meant Colombia's chances of qualifying were no longer in their own hands; they would need to beat Switzerland and hope the United States would beat Romania to stand any chance of qualifying as one of the four best third-placed teams. Escobar was blamed for the result by Colombians and was murdered shortly after returning to the country.
| United States | Colombia |
| GK | 1 | Tony Meola (c) |
| RB | 21 | Fernando Clavijo |
| CB | 17 | Marcelo Balboa |
| CB | 22 | Alexi Lalas | 48' |
| LB | 20 | Paul Caligiuri |
| RM | 9 | Tab Ramos |
| CM | 16 | Mike Sorber |
| CM | 5 | Thomas Dooley |
| LM | 6 | John Harkes |
| CF | 11 | Eric Wynalda | | 61' |
| CF | 8 | Earnie Stewart | | 66' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 10 | Roy Wegerle | | 61' |
| MF | 13 | Cobi Jones | | 66' |
| Manager: ||
| Bora Milutinović ||
| GK | 1 | Óscar Córdoba |
| RB | 4 | Luis Herrera |
| CB | 2 | Andrés Escobar |
| CB | 15 | Luis Carlos Perea |
| LB | 20 | Wilson Pérez |
| RM | 19 | Freddy Rincón |
| CM | 14 | Leonel Álvarez |
| CM | 5 | Hernán Gaviria |
| LM | 10 | Carlos Valderrama (c) |
| CF | 21 | Faustino Asprilla | | 45' |
| CF | 7 | Antony de Ávila | 24' | 45' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 9 | Iván Valenciano | | 45' |
| FW | 11 | Adolfo Valencia | | 45' |
| Manager: ||
| Francisco Maturana ||
* Assistant referees:
* Domenico Ramicone (Italy)
* El Jilali Rharib (Morocco)
* Fourth official:
* Lim Kee Chong (Mauritius)

### Switzerland vs Colombia

To have any hope of finishing in third place and a potential spot in the round of 16, Colombia needed a victory against already-qualified Switzerland and also needed Romania to lose to the United States in the match played simultaneously. They took the lead through Hernán Gaviria just before half-time. Gaviria was substituted late in the second half, and his replacement, Harold Lozano, doubled Colombia's lead in the last minute of the game. Colombia had managed the win they needed, but were eliminated anyways because the United States lost 1-0 to Romania.
| Switzerland | Colombia |
| GK | 1 | Marco Pascolo |
| RB | 2 | Marc Hottiger |
| CB | 4 | Dominique Herr |
| CB | 5 | Alain Geiger (c) |
| LB | 3 | Yvan Quentin |
| RM | 8 | Christophe Ohrel |
| CM | 6 | Georges Bregy | 85' |
| CM | 10 | Ciriaco Sforza |
| LM | 7 | Alain Sutter | | 82' |
| CF | 9 | Adrian Knup | 39' | 82' |
| CF | 11 | Stéphane Chapuisat |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 14 | Nestor Subiat | | 82' |
| FW | 15 | Marco Grassi | | 82' |
| Manager: ||
| Roy Hodgson ||
| GK | 1 | Óscar Córdoba |
| RB | 4 | Luis Herrera |
| CB | 2 | Andrés Escobar |
| CB | 3 | Alexis Mendoza |
| LB | 20 | Wilson Pérez |
| RM | 14 | Leonel Álvarez | 80' |
| CM | 5 | Hernán Gaviria | 58' | 79' |
| CM | 10 | Carlos Valderrama (c) | 62' |
| LM | 19 | Freddy Rincón |
| CF | 11 | Adolfo Valencia | | 64' |
| CF | 21 | Faustino Asprilla |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 7 | Antony de Ávila | | 64' |
| MF | 8 | Harold Lozano | | 79' |
| Manager: ||
| Francisco Maturana ||
* Assistant referees:
* Carl-Johan Meyer Christensen (Denmark)
* Douglas Micael James (Trinidad and Tobago)
* Fourth official:
* Arturo Brizio Carter (Mexico)

### United States vs Romania

Starting the day in third place, Romania needed a win to guarantee progress to the knockout phase. The United States' qualification was already practically assured, but a win for the host nation would open the door for Colombia to qualify ahead of Romania with victory over Switzerland. That prospect was ended in the 18th minute, when Dan Petrescu scored the only goal of the game for Romania, giving them a 1–0 win. Combined with Switzerland's loss to Colombia, that meant Romania finished top of the group, followed by Switzerland, with the United States in third. The United States ultimately qualified as one of the four best third-placed teams.
| United States | Romania |
| GK | 1 | Tony Meola (c) |
| RB | 21 | Fernando Clavijo | 48' |
| CB | 22 | Alexi Lalas |
| CB | 17 | Marcelo Balboa |
| LB | 20 | Paul Caligiuri |
| CM | 5 | Thomas Dooley |
| CM | 6 | John Harkes | 41' |
| RM | 16 | Mike Sorber | | 75' |
| LM | 9 | Tab Ramos | | 64' |
| CF | 8 | Earnie Stewart |
| CF | 11 | Eric Wynalda |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 10 | Roy Wegerle | | 75' |
| MF | 13 | Cobi Jones | | 64' |
| Manager: ||
| Bora Milutinović ||
| GK | 1 | Florin Prunea |
| SW | 4 | Miodrag Belodedici | | 89' |
| CB | 3 | Daniel Prodan |
| CB | 13 | Tibor Selymes |
| RM | 2 | Dan Petrescu | 73' |
| CM | 5 | Ioan Lupescu |
| CM | 6 | Gheorghe Popescu |
| LM | 7 | Dorinel Munteanu |
| AM | 10 | Gheorghe Hagi (c) |
| CF | 9 | Florin Răducioiu | 62' | 84' |
| SS | 11 | Ilie Dumitrescu |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 14 | Gheorghe Mihali | | 89' |
| MF | 18 | Constantin Gâlcă | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Anghel Iordănescu ||
* Assistant referees:
* Jan Dolstra (Netherlands)
* Gordon Dunster (Australia)
* Fourth official:
* Jamal Al Sharif (Syria)