Football's day of shame

Escobar was shot dead after returning from the USA

By Adrian Chiles BBC Sport

For Colombia, expectations going into the 1994 World Cup in the USA were sky-high.

Pele himself had placed the South Americans among the favourites for the tournament.

No-one expected the hosts to cause them any problems in the second group match.

But in front of 93,000 fans in California's Rose Bowl, Colombia froze and disaster struck.

Andreas' spirit lives on in the pictures and videos of him playing. There is also a statue of him in the local stadium.

Andreas Escobar's
father Dario

Defender Andreas Escobar put through his own goal and panic set in. Colombia let in another goal and eventually lost to the USA 2-1.

Having already lost to Romania, they were out of the World Cup.

But the tears of disappoinment turned to ones of tragedy just 10 days later when Escobar was shamefully shot dead in his home town of Medellin.

He was murdered execution-style - shot 12 times in a restaurant car park.

It now appears likely that he was killed by someone hired by a local gambler who had lost big money on Colombia's exit from the World Cup.

Alexi Lalas, the US defender who had played against him just over a week earlier, admits it was football's darkest hour.

"The irony is that he was probably the best defender on the pitch that day," recalls Lalas.

"Every defender has put the ball in their own net at some stage in their career. Even if it is just a deflection."

"It was unfortunate for them at the time and it was tragic later on."

Colombia's 1994 results

Romania 3-1 Colombia

USA 2-1 Colombia

Colombia 2-0 Switzerland

Escobar's father Dario still lives in Medellin and has never recovered from what happened to his son.

Today he talks in schools about the stupidity of violence in football.

"Andreas was a good son, a good man and a good friend," he said.

"He felt terrible about the own goal after the game and I told him it was only a mistake and tried to calm him down.

"The man who shot him was not a fan but the chauffeur of a rich man who was ordered to kill him.

"They made their money from dodgy business in Medellin.

"Whether they had lost a lot of money betting on the game or not I don't know. Football is violent and it is poisoned from within.

"I still watch the game but not with the same enthusiasm.

"Andreas' spirit lives on in the pictures and videos of him playing. There is also a statue of him in the local stadium.

"Everyone remembers him as a true gentleman of football."