DENVER — Two Denver families are trading local soccer fields for the world's biggest stage this summer, as the FIFA World Cup comes to the United States.
Brett Truka didn't grow up playing soccer. That changed when his 10-year-old son, Vincent, fell in love with the game.
"I credit, honestly, my son Vincent for that," Truka said.
Watch these soccer fans talk about the memories this World Cup will create for their children in the video below:
Vincent's passion pulled his dad in, and now Brett is the one who sometimes needs to be reined in on the sidelines.
"My wife… she's had me calm down at these games because it's 10-year-old soccer, so you need to chill out, right? It’s so much fun that I get reprimanded by my wife sometimes, let's put it that way," Truka said.
Now the family is heading to AT&T Stadium in Dallas to watch Japan take on Sweden. For Vincent, the draw is simple.
"It's fun to watch professional players that are better than me and I can see what they do," Vincent said.
For Truka, watching his son experience the moment is the real reward.
"Getting caught up in the pride that these countries carry, and representing their countries, you know, we're just super excited to be a part of it," Truka said.
He compared it to a childhood memory of his own — seeing Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman play for the Chicago Bulls at around the same age Vincent is now.
"It is a core memory, and so to witness them having a core memory moment, it's going to be amazing," Truka said.
Quincy Bloem's soccer story also starts with her dad. Born in the Netherlands, she moved to the United States when she was 6 years old and grew up playing in recreational leagues, with her father always in the stands.
"It’s definitely something we bond over. Growing up… dad was always at the games. He would never miss it," Bloem said.
Her father now lives in Nashville, making Kansas City a natural meeting point for the two. When the Dutch national team qualified for the World Cup, there was no question they would make the trip. The two are heading to Kansas City for the Netherlands' match against Tunisia on June 25.
"It was just something that I know I'm going to really hold on to for the rest of my life, and not an opportunity that I think will always be available to me, so I wanted to take advantage of it," Bloem said.
Getting there takes some planning. Bloem and her father are driving to Kansas City rather than flying, after finding airfare too expensive. Hotels in downtown Kansas City were running around $300 a night on the lower end, so they booked a hotel about 45 minutes outside the city.
"Seeing such a significant difference in price between Kansas City and just a neighborhood that is 45 minutes away was crazy, but I feel very grateful that it was an option," Bloem said.
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