Atlanta Soccer News: Art, Music and Culture: Hey Soccer Fan -- Did you see this?

Hey Soccer Fan -- I wanted to make sure you saw this email sent by Peter Gutsche yesterday. Peter was chosen from thousands of entrants to represent U.S. soccer fans in our bid to host the FIFA World Cup™. His story will appear in our official Bid Book -- but it's pasted below so you can read it right now. Take a couple minutes to check it out. Peter's story -- about his father and their shared love for the Game -- is a perfect example of our nation's passion for soccer, and the Game's power to bring people together in communities across the country. I hope you'll read Peter's story, and then send us a photo showing how the Game lives in your community. http://gousabid.com/yourphoto -- David David Downs Executive Director USA Bid Committee P.S. Great 2-1 win last night for the U.S. Men's National Team against El Salvador. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement about their next match, March 3rd against the Netherlands in Amsterdam. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Peter Gutsche, GoUSABid.com Date: Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 11:31 AM Subject: The greatest moment of my life To: David Downs David -- Represent U.S. Soccer Fans - Submit Your Photo My name is Peter Gutsche, and I've been selected to represent U.S. soccer fans in our country's official bid to host the FIFA World Cup™. This is an incredible honor. Out of thousands of entries from fans all across the country, the USA Bid Committee chose my story to help show FIFA just how much soccer means to the American people. Now I'd like to share my story with you. The greatest moment of my life was when I attended a 1994 World Cup match with my 74-year-old father. I had kept the tickets a secret so I could surprise him on his birthday, and needless to say, he was thrilled. My father immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1957, and he brought with him a great love for soccer. As a child, I was always kicking the ball around with him, and thanks to his support I was able to play for a Division 2 club in Mexico in the early 1980s. The 1994 World Cup encouraged my father's hope that soccer would become the most popular sport in America. This was America's chance to shine at the center of the soccer world, and it was my father's chance to see, 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 stadium before the Mexico-Ireland match in Orlando. I'll never forget walking up to our seats -- right behind the goal, as my father always insisted -- and looking out onto the field as the two national anthems began to play. The feeling was, well, just beyond belief. Although we had no allegiance to either team, we were witnessing how this 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 life, as it was in mine. Millions of U.S. soccer fans like you share my father's passion for the Game, and right now I'd like to invite you to join me as the face of U.S. soccer. Send in a photo -- of you, your loved ones, your fellow fans -- and help us create a massive photo wall of U.S. soccer fans. After all, it's not just me and my father I'm representing -- it's all of us who care about the Game. Click here to submit your photo: http://gousabid.com/yourphoto Thirteen years ago, I began kicking the ball around with the first of our three children, and all of them are now playing this wonderful game. Now I am very hopeful that the FIFA World Cup™ will return to the United States in 2018 or 2022, so I can have the same unforgettable experience 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 than to welcome the world to our home. Sincerely, Peter Gutsche P.S. Tonight the U.S. Men's National Team continues its preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ with a match against El Salvador. Kickoff at Raymond James Stadium is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Galavision, so be sure to tune in!