insideworldfootball

December 15 - Former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and comedian Drew Carey (pictured) today attended the first Board meeting of the US Bid Committee trying to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

Former women's team star Mia Hamm and US Soccer Federation (USSF) president Sunil Gulati also were at the three-hour session, held at Major League Soccer's offices in New York.

US coach Bob Bradley, who is not on the Board, sat in.

The US plans to will propose 12-to-18 host cities in its bid book, which is due to FIFA by next May.

Thirty-two stadiums are under consideration for what would be the second World Cup in the US, who also held the tournament in 1994.

David Downs, the bid's executive director, said: "We were really gathering everybody to focus their attention on the upcoming year, which I would say is the campaign phase of the bid.

"When all is said and done, the mission is to get as many of the 24 votes we can get.

"And we were trying to kind of strategise about ways we can go about that and what abilities some of their folks have, either who they know or what assets they have at their disposal."

Eight of the 24 voters on FIFA's Executive Committee, who will decide on the destinations of the tournament, are from Europe, making that continent the favourite to host in 2018 after it has been held in South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014.

But, like Australia, who are also bidding, the US is not prepared to concede the 2018 World Cup to anyone.

Downs said: "Until somebody tells us we're not permitted to bid for '18, we're bidding for '18.

"We're bidding for both.

"[But] a lot of intelligent people are forecasting that '18 is a race between European countries."


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