Sammy Mohamed remembers eating ice cream in a hot laundromat in Jersey City in 1994, watching Brazil v Italy in the World Cup final with his dad and a bunch of other people. He was just nine, but he told the Guardian he remembers especially loving the penalty shootout, which Brazil won. Afterwards, growing up in a large Latino community, friends would show him tapes of Pelé’s greatest goals. He became a fan. Later, in his early teens, he played a bit of soccer in high school – as a striker or in midfield – but like a lot of other young Americans his interest in the sport slipped as he got older. Real Madrid and Chelsea were abandoned in favour of [American] football teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers. But in the last month, Mohamed found himself feeling like he had in that laundromat, 20 years ago. “Ghana was the moment that made the US superstars,” said Mohamed, of the dramatic 2-1 win that opened the World Cup for Jürgen Klinsmann’s team. But, he said, “it was that first goal by Jermaine Jones against Portugal when I knew”. He said that moment, a spectacular, curling shot to bring the…