For U.S. soccer fans, it was a nasty surprise.
The FIFA Executive Committee voted Qatar as the host country for the 2022 World Cup on Dec. 1. The announcement, made in Zurich, Switzerland, came as a surprise to many, including the United States Soccer Federation, which had mounted an extensive bid that just fell short of winning in the final round of the selection.
Sunil Gulati, the president of the United States Soccer Federation, was joined by former president Bill Clinton; U.S. national team star, Landon Donovan; and Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman at the bidding in Zurich. The team made a strong case for the U.S. and even campaigned on Twitter and YouTube to get more support from Americans.
“As the (U.S. soccer) team gets better, we will get better as fans” -Rowan Puri (’13).
Urban students reacted to the decision with dismay. Zoe Elkins (’12), who is a member of the girls varsity soccer team, said, “I was really upset because I want soccer to become a bigger sport in the U.S.” If the World Cup came to the U.S., “it would have given soccer a bigger spotlight.”
Rowan Puri (’13) was upset about the outcome of the voting but said, “it’s not as big a deal because (the) fan base is not as good (in the U.S.).” However, Puri is optimistic that “as the (U.S. soccer) team gets better, we will get better as fans.”
FIFA’s decision came after a big push by the U.S. for the rights to host the next World Cup.
During his presentation, Donovan explained the importance of the growing passion for soccer in the U.S. “As I’ve grown as a player, so too has our country’s love for the game,” he said, as quoted in a press release. “And for both of us, it started in ‘94, when FIFA allowed us the honor of hosting the World Cup.”
- Landon Donovan dribbles the ball in the U.S.-Algeria game during the World Cup last summer. Photo by “jasonwhat” on flickr.com
Clinton recalled “going to watch (my daughter) Chelsea play when she was six and seven years old, thinking that something magical was about to happen in America.”
Clinton’s other central point was that the diversity of the U.S. was key for ticket sales and international representation. “We have the only nation you can put the World Cup (in) that can guarantee that no matter who makes the finals we can fill a stadium with home nation rooters,” Clinton said. This theme was demonstrated in a short film narrated by Morgan Freeman, in which people from all over the world showed their passion for soccer now coming to the U.S. You can view the video by going to the link below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QA0Rln5ruU
The strongest argument for holding the World Cup in the U.S., however, was that it’s been done before: Having already hosted the World Cup in 1994, the stadiums are built and many of the logistics are worked out. Despite all of this, Qatar was selected.
“We got to new lands” -FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter
In an interview with The New York Times, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter responded to the uproar very optimistically, saying, “we go to new lands.” Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad al-Thani, the head of the Qatar bidding team, predicted that the 2022 World Cup will “present a new image of the Middle East — far away from clichés and closer to reality.”
Qatar is the smallest country to ever host a World Cup, though it is also “one of the world’s fastest-growing economies,” according to The New York Times.
Some accused Qatar of trading oil money for votes; others worry about record summer heat. But whether you like it or not, the World Cup is going to new lands.