US Soccer will not be burned down, and that’s a good thing
- Matthew Klimberg [@KlimbergCalcio]
Saturday saw the election of Carlos Cordeiro to president of the US Soccer Federation. The previous vice-president of the organization emerged from a field of eight candidates in an incredibly contentious election process.
Following the country’s stunning failure to qualify for the World Cup, longtime president Sunil Gulati announced he would not run for a fourth term amidst rising pressure calling on him to step aside. His announcement opened the field to numerous candidates; which was narrowed to eight by Election Day.
Many American soccer fans took to social media demanding that US Soccer be gutted, and supported one of the six ‘change’ candidates; those who had no immediate ties to Gulati or US Soccer. Both Cordeiro and Kathy Carter (the CEO of a vague organization known as SUM, which is the marketing arm of MLS and US Soccer) were seen as establishment candidates. In fact, both Gulati and MLS commissioner Don Garber, who is on the US Soccer board, were caught lobbying for her despite their assurances that they’d stay out of the process.
Those aforementioned American soccer fans, as well as a number of American soccer players hoping for dramatic change watched the voting on Saturday and quickly realized that the field's "change candidates" were facing insurmountable odds, and took to Twitter to vent.
However, those same fans should be relieved that Cordeiro, and not Carter, nor any of the other six ‘change’ candidates, was elected. US Soccer is a strong and important organization that should not be burned down.
Soccer has long been derided as a ‘niche’ sport in America, destined to fall well behind the likes of basketball, football, baseball, hockey, and even golf and car racing. However, as Forbes pointed out last month, it is now on track to become the third most watched sport in America. People have long said, “soccer is the sport of the future” in America. Well, under Gulati, the future became now.
Cordeiro has the experience to nourish that movement, while having the desire to make changes where he sees it necessary to.
For those concerned that he’s an ‘establishment’ candidate, destined to maintain the ‘status quo’, realize that he defied Gulati with the simple act of running for president and taking votes away from his and Garber’s favored choice, Carter.
There was no reason to burn the establishment to the ground by electing someone without any experience like Eric Wynalda, or creating a potentially embarrassing situation by electing someone like Hope Solo with a lengthy domestic abuse record and outspoken history.
On the other hand, the Italian football association, FIGC, held it’s own presidential election two weeks ago; also following its embarrassing World Cup dismissal. However, one of the reasons why many Italians wanted dramatic change is that generations of corruption, mismanagement, and indifference has caused the former world superpower to languish, both, on the international and domestic stages.
American soccer has no such problems to address.
Will Cordeiro do everything in his power to strip MLS of it’s monopoly and create a system of promotion and relegation in America? No. Will he do everything in his power to finesse realistic, and positive change in American soccer? Absolutely.