ZURICH -- Switzerland, FIFA's official home, is oh so nice. Taking an indoor train from one terminal to another at Zurich's glossy airport, travelers are accompanied by flashing images and sounds on the brief ride. There is, of course, a mooing cow.
Maybe we should say it's nice most of the time. The weather has been wretched, as heavy snow made for a mini snowstorm. A foreshadowing of things to come Thursday, perhaps, when FIFA discloses the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups?
The 2022 race is still up for grabs, and who knows what soccer's most powerful men -- the executive committee members voting -- made of Wednesday's presentations. Australia, one of the possible winners, went first. Its contingent took a lighthearted approach, using an animated kangaroo. Kangaroos and Australia, we get it. The marsupial snatched the World Cup and was chased down by Crocodile Dundee himself, with Australia's various landscapes taking center stage. Supermodel and actress Elle Macpherson laid on the charm.
You can envision one executive committee member, Chuck Blazer, liking the show. He seems to be a pretty lighthearted guy, judging by his entertaining blog. The bad news for Australia is he's from the U.S., so good luck, Australia, getting his vote. For Blazer's more hardened colleagues, the casual approach might not work. The Aussies did feature their prime minister, which is always important.
Speaking of which, President Barack Obama spoke on behalf of the U.S., but only in a video message. Well, he does have other things to worry about. Instead, the U.S. had Bill Clinton. Actor Morgan Freeman added more to the presentation. He's universally respected, even if he did slip up slightly when reading. The U.S. went heavy on the theme of diversity, evidenced by this passage from Clinton.
"I tell everyone maybe America's best claim to this World Cup is that we have the only nation you can put the World Cup in that can guarantee no matter who makes the final, we can fill a stadium with home nation rooters," he said.
True. England must be close in that regard.
The U.S. has the most technically solid bid. That hasn't changed. And if FIFA wants legacy, think of what staging the tournament for a second time in the U.S. would do with respect to soccer's development there. There was substantial progress made following 1994. You don't get the feeling that would happen in Qatar if it nabbed the 2022 tournament.
It's never a positive when a presentation dwells on addressing concerns, rather than hyping what a country has to offer. That appeared to be the problem with Qatar. Its contingent admitted FIFA would be taking a "bold gamble."
Heat, Qatar assured, wouldn't be an issue, with those air-conditioned stadiums. What about geography? Teams would be bumping into each other and sharing facilities. It was actually billed as a selling point by none other than Bora Milutinovic, at the U.S.'s helm in 1994. "There is nothing better than training, preparing and resting in the same place," he said.
Did Milutinovic think Qatar was bidding for an Olympics?
A quick word on 2018. England, which has gone from favorite to third to now possibly in between, is picking up steam at the right time. Its Three Lions -- David Beckham, Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron -- are doing a fine job of schmoozing. They've tried to counter the fallout from the latest allegations made by English media against FIFA members.
But equally as important, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, seen as pivotal to the Russian bid, won't be in Zurich on Thursday to sway the decision-makers. Advantage, England. Or so it would seem.