Ultimately, this high-stakes encounter near Hollywood lights faithfully mirrored the storied bracket of 1994, leaving the World Cup poised for further high-drama fixtures.

Above the Rose Bowl, the Californian sun burned like fire. Flags trembled in the scorching wind. The emerald grass shimmered beneath the unforgiving light. Nearly one hundred thousand voices roared with such force it felt as though the sky itself might split apart.

The glass lens no longer seemed like an ordinary piece of equipment. It felt like the frozen gaze of the entire world -- and staring directly into it was a fallen god reciting the mantra of his own resurrection.