(WSVN) - As Team USA gears up to take the pitch for their first game in the FIFA World Cup, a former coach is handing over his baton to his son in the form of a letter.
Former U.S. Men National Team head coach and player Gregg Berhalter penned a heartfelt letter to his son, Sebastian, who is a midfielder for Team USA, ahead of the team’s first match.
“Dear Sebastian, it’s hard to describe what this moment feels like as your father,” Gregg writes.
The letter, written as a show of support of father to son, brought the young Berhalter to tears.
“I told myself I wouldn’t cry. Means everything,” said Sebastian in a video posted to social media.
“You stayed humbled through it all, you stayed grounded, you stayed kind and you are becoming an incredible young man. You earned this. I love you, Dad,” Sebastian read in the video.
The former coach references their shared love for the sport, telling his son:
“From the very beginning, your life has been connected to this game. From growing up in Europe to back home in the United States, the ball always seemed to follow you. But what has always stood out to me was not just your talent, it was your genuine love for the game and how dedicated you were to getting better.”
Throughout the letter, Gregg encourages his son to enjoy the experience, take in the anthem, and that the pressure is actually a privilege.
The proud father also said that he admires how his son has “never taken anything for granted” and expressed how the two of them “get to share an experience that very few fathers and sons ever will.”
Gregg touted his son’s rise from fan to key player on the team.
“It was a long journey for Sebastian…When I wrote that letter, I really wanted to make that point to him, that it was really his effort that got him there,” Sebastian read.
The letter is something Sebastian will not only take in his heart but also on the field.
“Hopefully, I can be half the father he is when I’m older, you know, for my kids. He has taught me everything I need to know, and I just want to go and make him proud,” said Sebastian.
Meanwhile, Alex Freeman, from Weston, is expected to be in the starting lineup.
Team USA is favored to win against Paraguay in Friday night’s game.
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