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There is a small town in New Jersey where in the past, soccer stars for the U.S. national team were bred.
Welcome to Kearny.
A town originally made up of Scottish immigrants who arrived in the USA after a thread-mill factory was set up in the 19th century, Kearny is a town adjacent to Newark. There soccer was passed down from generation to generation and it soon became a hotbed for some of the best players in the entire country.
Three of the founding fathers of Major League Soccer, John Harkes, Tony Meola and Tab Ramos, all hail from Kearny and in the latest incredible episode of MLS Insider we look back at the stellar career of former USMNT captain and legend John Harkes and how much Kearny shaped him as a player and person.
Harkes takes you on a tour of the old town alongside his Scottish father as they recall just how unique it was to have three U.S. internationals all grow up together playing the game they love on the streets of Kearny, then appearing in the World Cup finals on home soil in 1994. It was a truly unique situation that may never be replicated again. This inside look at the rich soccer heritage is remarkable, as Harkes hangs out in his local Scots-American bar and reminisces about the past and growing up in a soccer loving community.
Sit back, relax and enjoy listening to Harkes’ story as he went from Kearny to the World Cup, the Premier League to Major League Soccer and is in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame alongside his buddies Meola and Ramos. Not bad for three kids from Kearny, NJ... right?
For a full archive of every single episode of MLS Insider, click right here.