A Rowlett family is watching with pride as a former house guest competes in the World Cup. In 2014, the family hosted Hjalmar Ekdal, a teenage player from Sweden, during the Dallas Cup.

From Dallas Cup to World Cup

Ekdal, now a defender for Sweden, was just 16 when he stayed with the Blue family. Ryan Blue, who also played soccer at the time, remembers showing Ekdal and his teammates a Texas-style America.

"They were so much fun and just so lively all the time," said Ryan. "It was fun to see their reactions. I remember they loved seeing the big trucks, they had never seen them before. They loved to see those." The family also introduced Ekdal to Texas barbecue and even let him try out a pitching machine in their yard.

Now, more than a decade later, the Blue family is cheering on Ekdal as he competes in the World Cup. "Yeah, it's, I mean, really cool to see him on TV, for sure. I mean, he looks exactly the same as he did when he was 16," said Ryan.

Cheering from Rowlett

The Blue family will be watching Sweden's upcoming games from their living room, including the match against the Netherlands in Houston. Although they have lost touch with Ekdal over the years, they are proud to have hosted him and are excited to see him succeed on the world stage.

Original reporting: Dallas – Ft. Worth Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.