When Desmond Armstrong faced the media at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the opening question he was asked wasn't about the remarkable feat of the USA team reaching the tournament for the first time in four decades.
"Why aren't you playing basketball?" was directed at Armstrong, then a 25-year-old defender, who was about to become the first US-born black player to represent the United States at a World Cup.
"There were no congratulations, or 'how excited are you to be here?'" Armstrong tells BBC Sport.
"The stereotype was 'you're an American and you're black, so you should be playing basketball'. Beyond the fact that Americans shouldn't be here in the first place, why are you here?"
Days later, he would keep the prolific Italy striker Gianluca Vialli off the scoresheet in a brilliant man-marking display against the hosts at the Stadio Olimpico - a performance that marked a huge turning point for football in the United States and for Armstrong himself.
"Why aren't you playing basketball?" was directed at Armstrong, then a 25-year-old defender, who was about to become the first US-born black player to represent the United States at a World Cup.
"There were no congratulations, or 'how excited are you to be here?'" Armstrong tells BBC Sport.
"The stereotype was 'you're an American and you're black, so you should be playing basketball'. Beyond the fact that Americans shouldn't be here in the first place, why are you here?"
Days later, he would keep the prolific Italy striker Gianluca Vialli off the scoresheet in a brilliant man-marking display against the hosts at the Stadio Olimpico - a performance that marked a huge turning point for football in the United States and for Armstrong himself.
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