Face of the bid

Yesterday we presented the first of the runners-up for our "Be the Face" of the US Bid contest. Our next story is very different than a college professor using soccer to teach democracy, but equally as inspiring.

Today, we bring you the words of Kamran Faizi of Castro Valley, CA:

Television came to Afghanistan in 1978 and my first EVER soccer game on TV was the Final of World Cup '78. I watched it as a 10-year-old creamed in between hundreds of people on a small TV provided by the city.

A year later while playing soccer on a dirt field in Kabul, Soviet tanks rolled on our pitch and our lives were changed forever.

I have been living in the US since 1984 and was a proud American in 1994 when we hosted one of the best World Cups in history.

Now our stars shine in leagues around the world. Major League Soccer is a success. America is home to the world and we would love to host another party for the world's best and favorite game.