By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES – The creators and stars of award-winning comedy series “Ted Lasso” were among those expressing hope that the World Cup would bring people together at an event in Los Angeles on Wednesday marking the one-year countdown to the tournament.
Los Angeles will be one of the main host cities for the soccer showpiece in North America, welcoming eight matches including the United States’ first match and a quarter-final.
Brendan Hunt, a co-creator and actor in the Apple TV+ show about an upstart British football team with a US coach, said Americans should embrace the influx of visitors from around the world.
“What America needs to get ready for with this World Cup is something that most Americans instinctively know, but just to make sure for those who don’t – there will be many people here who were not born here,” Hunt said during an on-stage interview.
“And just because they weren’t born here, you don’t need to be afraid of them.”
“Platform used,” said fellow co-creator Jason Sudeikis, who plays Lasso on the show.
Hunt said the tournament would be incredible.
“You have to prepare yourself to surrender to a vibe you’ve never quite seen before because when folks come to these cities to see their teams play, they will take over in a way that is absolutely as benevolent as it is overwhelming,” he added.
The countdown to the tournament, which the US is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada, comes on the heels of US President Donald Trump’s directive banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S., though athletes are exempt. — Reuters
