SoccerTown USA: The Roots Were Always Here 

Following the tasting, guests gathered for an exclusive screening of SoccerTown USA — a documentary about Kearny, New Jersey, and its foundational place in the American soccer story. Long before MLS, before the 1994 World Cup, before the global spotlight, Kearny was already playing. 

After the film, Alberto Garofalo, President of Bank of America New Jersey, led a post-screening discussion with Kearny natives and U.S. Men's National Team Hall of Famers John Harkes, Tony Meola and Tab Ramos, alongside co-producers Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell. 

The conversation was candid and passionate. The panel pushed back on the idea that American soccer needs to be reinvented, arguing that the ingredients for success were never missing; they were only forgotten. The pickup games, the self-directed play, the coaches who understood the game without over-coaching, all of it existed in Kearny. The challenge now is remembering it. 

The discussion also turned personal, with reflections on the families and neighborhoods that shaped the game locally — including a vivid memory of the day the Celtic Boys Club arrived from Glasgow, organized and professional, while Kearny's own kids played with nothing but hunger and pride. That competitive fire, the panel agreed, was exactly what built American soccer from the ground up. 

The filmmakers announced that SoccerTown USA has expanded into a podcast, "An American Game" — available via QR code in the evening's swag bags. A second documentary, Soccer Meets America, was also highlighted and is available for free on Rappu. 

New Jersey's Global Moment 

According to the NYNJ Host Committee's Economic Impact Summary, developed with Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, the FIFA World Cup 2026 is projected to generate $3.3 billion in total economic impact for the region — including $1.7 billion in visitor spending, 26,000+ jobs and $432 million in state and local tax revenue. 

Un Solo Gol connected that future to the businesses, communities and cultures already shaping it. From the food to the film to the conversation, the evening was a reminder of what New Jersey does best: bring people together. 

Bank of America is the Official Bank Sponsor of FIFA World Cup 26™. This event was produced by Bank of America with support from SHCCNJ.