Today’s edition of “Throwback Thursday” is a very special one.

As a nine year-old who was (and still is) an enthusiastic soccer fan, attending SoccerFest at the Los Angeles Convention Center was amazing. The United States went all-in for promoting the world’s game to its skeptical American sports audience. By hosting the World Cup tournament, Americans got to see and experience the beautiful game up close and personal.

Granted, SoccerFest was more than 20 years ago. But I still vividly remember walking up to the glass case with THE World Cup trophy inside, which was stop-in-your-tracks mesmerizing. I had an unforgettable time on this special birthday trip with my Dad. This included playing beach soccer, recording a video of me saving shots from the world’s best strikers on a VHS tape, taking home a beautiful poster that was signed by the artist (who was #22 for the USMNT) and getting my very own Soccer America magazine cover.

While I may be biased here, the kid dribbling the soccer ball at the :22 and :24 second mark looks really familiar…

I still think the U.S. jerseys from the 1994 World Cup were awesome. The jerseys are definitely better than anything Nike has designed (a generous term) lately. The full kits proudly (and boldly) showcased America in red, white and blue, stars and all.

And regarding SoccerFest, the star was definitely my Dad.