It is only 10 in the morning and already the heat in Pasadena is somewhere in the region of ‘face-melting’.
The sea breeze that kindly buffets the waterfronts of the United States’ Pacific coast is nowhere to be felt. Here, hemmed in by hills that form a dramatic natural amphitheatre, all is still, sweaty and parched.
In the middle of it all, gracefully defiant in the sun, sits the Rose Bowl.
This stadium in Los Angeles’ northern suburbs, now 102 years young, understandably holds a beloved position in the American sporting consciousness. Five NFL Super Bowls have been played here, plus the 1999 Women’s World Cup final, Brandi Chastain and all that. It wears its history lightly — a few plaques, a couple of modest statues — but it is known as ‘America’s stadium’ for a reason.
It is not only U.S. sports fans who revere the place, however; the Rose Bowl is also on the list of Brazilian football’s holy sites.
It was here, 30 years ago next month, that Brazil sealed their fourth World Cup title, pulling away from Germany to become the most successful nation in men’s football history (both have won another since).
Close your eyes a touch and you can almost see the after images: Italy’s Roberto Baggio sending the decisive penalty into orbit; Romario smooching the…
