Some two decades ago, the U.S. Soccer Federation bid for and won the right to host the 1994 World Cup after convincing FIFA to award the world's greatest sporting event to the country to help raise the awareness of the sport.
Now the soccer boot is on the other foot.
As a successful World Cup veteran, the U.S. finds itself going up against the likes of Australia, Indonesia and Qatar -- each trying to host their first World Cup -- in either 2018 or 2022.
If FIFA wants to break new ground the organization can go with a World Cup novice. If it wants to break some more attendance records, soccer's governing body can go with that country which got it right the very first time.
So, while the U.S. has been down the World Cup road before, there certainly is room for growth, said David Downs, the executive director of the USA Bid Committee.
"First of all, the short-term proposition of a World Cup in the United States is clearly outstanding," he said at the World Cup Bidders Media Expo Friday. "We have the potential to sell 5 million tickets roughly, given the capacity of the stadiums we have and we know we have the demand. '94 taught everybody that we will sell out 100 percent of the tickets that we will put on the market. I still think the United States represents a growth opportunity for FIFA. Truly amazing things happened on back of the '94 World Cup. Youth registration is up roughly fourfold since the late '80s and early '90s. The league is in its 14th year and pretty solid, although not the [English] Premiership.
"We still believe our story is an opportunity for FIFA. We think the sport can get to a higher level in the United states. We think with a country ... with the international influence of the United States, getting to that higher level is a tremendous opportunity for FIFA. So others are using the stories we used in the late '80s. We can go from zero to X. We are using the story we can go from the glass half full to the glass full."
Having a World Cup under your belt certainly would be a big advantage. USA '94 brought in 3,587,538 spectators, breaking the previous mark by more than 1 million. The U.S. also lived up to its part of a legacy agreement with FIFA by creating MLS in 1996.
"If you have a soccer World Cup already done that is certainly a good business card that you can show," one FIFA source said.
The U.S. is vying for one of two berths. The Americans' rivals are Australia, Holland/Belgium, England, Indonesia, Japan, Portugal/Spain, Qatar, Russia and South Korea.
FIFA invited the 10 candidates to the World Cup draw as the organization held the Expo on the Leeuwenhof Estate so all the bidders would be on an even playing field. Each of the finalists were housed in 10 identically sized kiosks, trying to woo print, internet and television journalists. Besides information about each bit, those in attendance could have taken home bags, hats, T-shirts, pens, writing pads and key chains and of course, information about each bid.
"The biggest challenge is the amount of bidders," a source said. "FIFA never had 10 bidders at the same time. We are to watch and make sure its equal treatment."
After talking to people behind several bids, this is what has been ascertained:
• After the May 14 bid book submission deadline, FIFA will go on a 10-country inspection tour after the South Africa World Cup -- probably going from east to west (starting with Australia). That could make the U.S. the final country on the tour, which could start in August and end in September.
• That same inspection team would visit all 10 candidates, staying in each country for a few days. The inspectors are likely to spend five days at each of the 10 countries, concerning themselves with a country's stadia and infrastructure.
• Several bidders agreed that FIFA should separate the teams by giving a European nation a chance to host the 2018 competition and another part of the world (the Americas or Asia) in 2022. In other words, the European nations would be placed together -- Holland/Belgium, England, Russia and Spain/Portugal -- with the other countries -- Korea, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Qatar and the U.S. -- forming another group.
Around this time next year in Zurich, Switzerland, FIFA is scheduled to make a decision as to which countries would be selected to host in 2018 and 2022.
As for what two countries are in the driver's seat, don't ask. It's way too early.
If you go by what transpired Friday, Australia, Spain/Portugal and the United States put out impressive videos (countries had a maximum of 10 minutes to tell their stories). Australia had actress Nicole Kidman narrating its package, while the Spain/Portugal video showed off the beauty of Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon. The U.S. used a mock version of ESPN's SportsCenter, which turned into an infomercial. Hosted by Hannah Storm and Josh Elliott, the mock newscast went to various parts of the United States to show the country's growing and continuing interest in the sport.
"America's passion for soccer shines," ESPN announcer Tom Rinaldi said. "The game that has conquered the world has come here."
The most disappointing video? England, which used animated figures in its video. No stadiums, no humans, no soccer players and no David Beckham. English writers were embarrassed by it.
"One unkind comparison likened it to a budget version of South Park and certainly the static, plump figures waddling up an animated Wembley Way did remind one of Cartman and friends," Sam Wallace wrote in The Independent.
England, of course, had a not-so secret weapon in Beckham. When made the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder made his appearance, there was so much commotion among the media it seemed that Nelson Mandela or South African president Jacob Zuma had shown up.
"Everything has been so positive," Beckham told reporters. "It's just about keeping it going and not being arrogant. That's a big thing -- just because we are England doesn't mean we are going to get the bid and get the World Cup in our country. We realize there is a lot of hard work to be done and we have to be prepared to do that. I've always said I would do everything I can to bring the World Cup to the country."
Of course, not every player's appearance was as popular as Beckham's. During the U.S. presentation, former Portuguese great Luis Figo arrived late and distracted reporters and photographers from the video.
Former Spain captain Fernando Hierro, who arrived with Figo, denied that the arrival was trying to steal any thunder.
Downs said that one of the USA's challenge was "to dispel the notion that people aren't passionate about soccer." MLS is just part of a large U.S. soccer pie that includes youth and international soccer.
The USA Bid Committee uses the slogan, "The Game Is In US".
"We're trying to trying to draw attention to the fact there are millions of Americans who are touched by the sport in a variety of different ways," Downs said.
The U.S. doesn't want to leave anything to chance.
"Every one of those nations could actually host a World Cup," Downs said. "So we have to explain to FIFA not only we can host the World Cup, we are supremely confident of that. We've done it once before very well, but it's a benefit to them."
Downs is cautious. He noted what happened to Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. The U.S. media touted the Windy City as the favorites, but Chicago surprisingly was eliminated in the first round.
"If there's a lesson to be learned from the Chicago bid, when it comes down to voting, you don't know how it's going to turn out until the votes are counted," he said. "You can't rest on your laurels. You can't assume that business rationale will prevail. It's politics."
Michael Lewis covers soccer for the New York Daily News and is editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He can be reached at SoccerWriter516@aol.com. Views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
