LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Edson Buddle and Benny Feilhaber,
members of the US National Men's Soccer Team, competing in the 2010
World Cup South Africa, taking place June 11-July 11, 2010

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay
tribute to those outstanding athletes who distinguish themselves in
worldwide athletic competition; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Edson Buddle and Benny Feilhaber, members of the US National Men's
Soccer Team, competing in the 2010 World Cup South Africa, taking place
June 11-July 11, 2010; and
WHEREAS, The World Cup has been recognized as a sporting event of
significance in the communities across the globe, throughout America,
and within the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup or
Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an
international association football competition contested by the men's
national teams of the members of Federation Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body; and
WHEREAS, Edson Buddle, who attended Port Chester High School in West-
chester County, New York, will be competing as a member of the United
States World Cup Team; born in New Rochelle, New York, he currently
plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Major League Soccer Federation;
and
WHEREAS, In addition, Benny Feilhaber, who spent approximately eight
years in the New York City suburb of Scarsdale, New York, where he
played for the local soccer team, the Scarsdale Lightning, will also be
competing as a member of the United States World Cup Team; he is an
American soccer midfielder who plays for AGF Aarhus in the Danish First
Division; and
WHEREAS, The World Cup is both an impassioned international competi-
tion and an icon of solidarity through sporting; and
WHEREAS, The championship has been awarded every four years since the
first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not
contested because of World War II; and
WHEREAS, The current format of the tournament involves 32 teams
competing for the title at venues within the host nations over a period
of about a month, and this particular phase is often called the World
Cup Finals; a qualification phase, which currently takes place over the
preceding three years, is used to determine which teams qualify for the
tournament together with the host nations; and
WHEREAS, During the 18 tournaments that have been held, seven nations
have won the title; Brazil has won the World Cup a record five times,
and they are the only team to have played in every tournament; Italy,
the current champions, have won four titles, and Germany is next with
three titles; and
WHEREAS, The other former champions are Uruguay, winners of the inau-
gural tournament, and Argentina, with two titles each, and England and
France, with one title each; the World Cup is the most widely-viewed
sporting event in the world, where an estimated 715.1 million people
watched the final match of the 2006 World Cup held in Germany; and
WHEREAS, It is monumental that this is the first time that an African
nation will host the World Cup which is one of the most symbolic sport-
ing events throughout the entire world; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Edson Buddle and Benny Feilhaber upon the occasion of competing in

the 2010 World Cup South Africa, taking place June 11-July 11, 2010; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Edson Buddle and Benny Feilhaber.