Qatar Polished; Two Presidents Pitch U.S. Bid; Japan Touts Technology

(ATR) Qatar’s World Cup bid put on a characteristically slick presentation, attempting to assuage concerns about its heat, emphasizing the tiny Gulf Kingdom’s role in the heart of the Middle East and football’s power to unite.

The bid gave portions of the presentation in French and Spanis, emphasizing that not all of the Executive Committee have as their native tongue English. Bid chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani said in his opening comments: "It’s the spirit of brotherhood we want to offer you today."

He added: "Qatar is a reliable partner. Qatar is constant and Qatar is responsible."

He was followed by a well-executed film highlighting the country and interspersing it with Bora Milutinevic giving a dressing room team talk. "Are you ready to make history?" he asks as the camera panned to make the kingdom seem a lot bigger than it actually is.

Militunevic, who managed six different countries in the World Cup Finals, talked about his experience as a six-time World Cup manager. He spoke of the heat at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico (generously omitting mention of the sweltering 1994 finals in the USA) but claimed that that wasn’t an issue in Qatar. He talked about what players needed from a finals – consistency, lack of transport across long distances, optimum training conditions – and said that Qatar could offer those.

For more on Qatar's presentation, visit World Football Insider.

Clinton Takes U.S. Bid Into Extra Time

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton tells FIFA Executive Committee members they can trust the USA bid to deliver more than just a World Cup on the field.

Alluding to the challenges posed to FIFA by taking a World Cup to new territories such as Qatar, the USA's biggest rivals, or Australia, Clinton said the USA had the venues and infrastructure but could provide a social legacy.

"You won't have to worry about construction deadlines and ticket sales. You will be free to elevate this game as never before and show how it can help make the world a better place," he said.

Touted as the star of the USA's bid presentation, Clinton's long and rambling appraisal – which saw the US bid go six minutes over its allotted time - of his humanitarian work since leaving the presidential office did the bid a disservice and will have been lost on some Ex-co members.

The only genuine moment of surprise in the USA pitch was a video message from US president Barack Obama, who spoke of the government's support for the bid. Last year, he travelled to Copenhagen in support of Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid onlyto see the city go out in the first round of the IOC vote.

His appeal to FIFA borrowed similar lines from the October 2009 speech to IOC members, when he said the country would "welcome the world to our shores".

"It would be an incredible honour. I hope that you [FIFA] feels as I do that the USA would make an excellent host. Here in America the passion [for football] burns stronger than ever before," said, remarking on the record 3.6 million fans who attended games at the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

"I promise you if we are successful we will make you proud."

Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman launched his presentation with the line: "Bring it to my country."

He underlined the USA's diversity of cultures and ethnic minorities and the nation's passion for the sport, sentiments later echoed in a short speech by LA Galaxy star Landon Donovan.

For more on Qatar's presentation, visit World Football Insider.

Japan's Technological Vision Finally Adds Up

Japan’s bid presentation articulated a more cogent vision of its ambitious technological plans than in past showings. Eschewing gimmickry and making a virtue of bid chairman and Exco member Junji Ogura’s great charm, the bid spoke of their dreams for 2022 and how they plan to transform global football.

The presentation had its charms, but overall the tone was low key and may not be enough to convince FIFA to take a chance on the outsiders.

Rio Sasaki – an 8 year-old girl – who was born in the midst of the last tournament spoke of how the world has changed in her short lifetime and how it will change over the next dozen years.

"Lot’s of things will change, but my dream won’t change – to have the World Cup in Japan," she said.

There were two fairly uninspiring short videos about Japan’s social responsibility programmes, but the big draw was Sir Howard Stringer, the Sony chairman. The Japanese company are one of FIFA’s main sponsors.

He said that his initial reaction when approached by the bid committee was that 2002 would be "too soon" but that he was wrong.

"Too soon is a phrase we have heard many times in my business" he said and went on to say that such doubts had been made with the Walkman, video camera and DVD player.

"Sony and FIFA have been pioneers recently" he continued, pointing to 3D World Cup broadcasts earlier this year, and went on to call on FIFA to continue the pioneering spirit with global fanfests.

"It is an opportunity to change the world again," he said.

For more on Qatar's presentation, visit World Football Insider.

With reporting by INSIDER's Mark Bisson and James Corbett in Zurich