[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 19, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          SOCCER TOWN, U.S.A.

  Mr. BRADLEY. Madam President, I rise today to honor the city of 
Kearny, NJ--or, as I prefer to call it Kearny, Soccer Town, U.S.A.
  In the mid-1870's, thousands of Scottish and Irish immigrants 
migrated to Kearny in northern New Jersey, located just 10 miles west 
of Manhattan. With them they brought their rich cultural heritage, 
complete with a penchant for playing soccer.
  Time did little to extinguish the flame of soccer in the hearts of 
Kearny residents. Rather, through the establishment of a number of club 
teams, the sport flourished. In fact, in 1930, Kearny sent three 
residents to the U.S. National Soccer Team which reached the semifinals 
of the inaugural World Cup held in Uruguay.
  Today, Kearny continues to excel in the sport of soccer. Nowhere was 
Kearny's continued excellence more evident than in the recent efforts 
of the U.S.A. World Cup Soccer Team.
  While the country watched with excitement and pride as the U.S. team 
advanced to the second round of the 1994 World Cup Tournament, the 
36,000 residents of Kearny watched with added enthusiasm. Representing 
our country were three of Kearny's own: Tony Meola, John Harkes, and 
Tab Ramos. Two of these players, goaltender Tony Meola and midfielder 
John Harkes, competed in Kearny youth soccer leagues and were teammates 
at Kearny High School. Joining Mr. Meola and Mr. Harkes in Kearny's 
Thistle Youth Soccer Program was midfielder, Tab Ramos. The solid play 
of these three New Jerseyans was vital to the success of the U.S. team.
  The United States is proud to be hosting the 1994 World Cup 
Tournament. The games held across our country--from Palo Alto, CA, to 
East Rutherford, NJ--have no doubt rekindled the appeal of the sport 
for many Americans. In Kearny, though, the appeal of soccer has never 
waned; the town has remained a cradle of the sport. I think it is safe 
to say that, thanks in part to the success of Tony Meola, John Harkes, 
and Tab Ramos, Kearny will remain Soccer Town, U.S.A. for some time to 
come.

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