The Face of the bid

For the past couple weeks, we have been posting the runners-up to the "Be the Face" of the bid contest (see: here, here, here and here).

Today, we present to you the winner, Peter Gutsche of Lithia, FL. We'll let Peter's words speak for themselves:

The greatest moment in my life was when I was fortunate to obtain tickets to the 1994 World Cup at the Orlando, Florida, Citrus Bowl. The moment wasn't great simply because I would be able to attend the Cup myself; it was great because my 74-year old father was going to live it with me. My father immigrated to the United States in 1957 from Germany. He had seen the world's most beautiful game experience many ups and downs here in this country. As a child growing up, I was always kicking the ball with him, and thanks entirely to my father I became a semi-professional goalkeeper. It was his enormous support that enabled me to play in Mexico City with a Division 2 club in the early 1980's, and to try out with the Chicago Sting and the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League. All through the 1970's he had heard that soccer was going to become the most popular sport in America, and it seemed clear from the early successes of the North American Soccer League that this might indeed come true. But the league eventually folded and things looked bleak until the 1994 FIFA World Cup™ came to our country. I purchased the tickets but kept them a secret until his 74th birthday so that I could surprise him. What an amazing feeling it was for him to be able to actually attend the World Cup in person.

In 1954, when the FIFA World Cup™ was held in Switzerland, my father watched on black- and-white television as Germany won over Hungary. For the World Cup final in 1974, he took me to watch Germany defeat Holland on closed-circuit television, the only way we could see the event here in the U.S. at that time. Now it was his chance to experience, in person, what he had only seen on television: the greatest event on the planet. I'll never forget the look on his face when we arrived outside the Orlando stadium prior to the Mexico-Ireland match to see several hundred fans from both countries singing and dancing together. We then made our way to our seats, which were located about 30 rows up, behind the goal. This was where my father had always taken me to watch games, behind the goal. The feeling that came over us when the two national anthems began to play was, well, just beyond belief. Although we had no allegiance to either of the teams before us, we were witnessing for ourselves how the Beautiful Game brings people together. My father passed away in 2001, but I know that game was one of the most memorable moments in his lifetime, as it was in mine.

Thirteen years ago I began kicking the ball around with the first of our three children, all of whom now play this wonderful game with the same joy that I experienced as a child. We have always taught our children to be welcoming, caring, and compassionate towards people of all cultures and ethnicities. What better way to teach this compassion than by having the World Cup back in the United States and bearing witness to the passion of the game in person. I am very hopeful that the FIFA World Cup™ will return to the United States in 2018 or 2022, so that I can have the same experience that I had with my father, this time with my own children. What better way to share our love for the world's most popular game, and welcome the world to our home.

Peter sent an email to GoUSABid supporters today, asking everyone to join him as the face of the bid. All you have to do is submit a photo of what soccer looks like in your community.