I was 8 years old when the game was played, and have five older sisters. My sister Cathy worked that day at a KFC, so while those of us at home avoided any coverage - we knew some customer would have updated her on the outcome of the game. She got home shortly before the go ahead goal in the 3rd period. As soon as the goal was scored, I looked over at her for a clue on how the game was going to end - and she was totally stone faced. I thought “Oh, no - they’re not going to hold this lead”.
I watched the last ten minutes of the game certain the US was going to lose, getting increasingly confused and upset as the clock wound down that they blew it that late. It wasn’t until there was less than a minute left that I entertained the idea I was wrong…but it made the win just a little more special. As I was jumping around screaming and celebrating, another of my sisters asked Cathy why she’d stayed so stone faced and almost somber and through tears she said she didn’t want to spoil it for us, and REALLY wanted to see my reaction.
When I tell my kids that story, none of the details make any sense to them, it from a world so foreign to anything they’ve experienced. A game on tape delay is almost impossible for them to believe. But the emotions of the story - they get that.