Welcome back to the Sunstone Way.
What do the 250th anniversary of American independence and the FIFA World Cup tournament have in common?
First, they both are happening on the Fourth of July. Second, they both are emblematic of dreams, and dreams coming true.
An American Dream
I’ve talked often here about the American Dream of working hard and finding success. It’s right there in the most famous phrase of the Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
These days, the “all men” is really “all people,” but you get the point. We believe everyone should have the chance to chase their dreams, to come up with new ideas and to succeed in turning them into reality.
Go USA
One of those American Dreams is playing itself out this week, as the United States Men’s National Team enters the World Cup Knockout phase. That means they still have a chance – albeit as a longshot – to win the coveted trophy.
If you aren’t a huge soccer (foot-ball, to the well-informed) fan, as I am, you might not know that the U.S. Men’s Team has been pretty much an afterthought on the world stage for a long time now. On the other hand, the U.S. Women’s Team has won the World Cup a record four times, and won the Olympic gold medal in 2024.
But this year, the U.S. Men won their first two World Cup matches, beating Paraguay and Australia to become one of the first to qualify for the knockout round. With advancement secured, most of the starters rested against Turkey. The U.S. lost, 3-2, in a game that didn’t matter in the standings.
Sunstone was there, or at least there at the Great Park watch party for the Turkey game, which we sponsored along with our sister company, American Lending Center.
The United States played their Round of 32 game yesterday, July 1, so I’m not 100% certain their dream is still alive. But I’m betting on it as I write!
World Dreams Come True
With the World Cup coinciding with America’s 250th birthday – and the U.S. hosting most of the games – it seems fitting that we are watching some amazing dreams come true. It doesn’t hurt any that a worldwide audience expected to surpass the 5-billion-viewer mark according to FIFA is watching with us!
After expanding the tournament to 48 teams, there have been several real David vs. Goliath triumphs already. Curacao, a Caribbean island with a population of 150,000 people, qualified for the tournament, and even scored a goal against powerhouse Germany. They lost, 7-1, but still. Before that, they battled Ecuador to a 0-0 draw.
That tiny nation is not alone in exceeding expectations. One of the tournament’s biggest surprises came early, when the small African island nation of Cape Verde (population 530,000) battled former world champion Spain to a 0-0 draw.
That match produced a new hero – 40-year-old goalie Vozinha, playing in his first World Cup game. Vozinha didn’t even start playing soccer until he was 25, and has had a checkered career until now, trying to play for multiple nations, and currently playing for a second-tier Portuguese team.
But the victory against Spain wasn’t a one-off – Cape Verde followed with a 2-2 draw against Uruguay, giving themselves a real chance to get out of the group stage, with Vozinha in goal.
Speaking of age, it’s hard to ignore the continued exploits of superstar Lionel Messi. At 38, Messi managed the elusive hat trick – three goals – against Algeria. Then he scored two more goals against Austria, giving him the record for World Cup goals at 18. And Messi’s Argentina team has plenty more to play!
Nothing Comes Easy
These dreams come true didn’t just happen – just like a 250-year-old United States of America didn’t just happen. It’s hard to imagine the commitment, the investment it must take for a country smaller than the size of Irvine to mount and support a World Cup-quality soccer team.
If you follow U.S. soccer, you know what a struggle it has been to raise the level of the national men’s team. It’s such a pleasure to watch that hard work bear fruit.
Neither Vozinha nor Messi got to where they are today without years of hard work and help along the way. A side note – one of the tenderest moments of the World Cup came when Vozinha managed to get his mother a stalled visa to watch him play against Uruguay.
My point is that it takes a community to make good things happen. It takes investment, and it takes innovation. These teams, these players, aren’t playing as they did 20 or even 10 years ago; they have found ways to improve.
I love watching these World Cup matches. I love the talent displayed, the passion of playing for your home country in full view. There are lessons to be learned, too.
I hope you’re doing the same. It is, after all, the Sunstone Way!
Remember, always be a Sunstone.
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone
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Sunstone Investment Group, headquartered in Southern California, is the holding company for the Sunstone family of entities, including: Sunstone Investment Management Services, responsible for administrative services; Sunstone Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser, which oversees Sunstone Venture Partners LLC, a private capital fund manager; Sunstone Cities, a government economic development consulting firm; and Sunstone Community Fund, a charitable organization that supports entrepreneurship. Sunstone is dedicated to enriching lives through investment, entrepreneurship, and community. Email us at contact@sunstoneinvestment.com.
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