U.S. Soccer presidential hopefuls will make case to key constituency in Lake Tahoe
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Oct 20, 2017
The organization holds more than 25 percent of the vote in U.S. Soccer's National
Council and has an equal share of the vote with the pros and youth in picking the next U.S. Soccer president.
Primer: Here's how U.S. Soccer's presidential election works ...
Only
Boston attorney Steve Gans has announced his candidacy for president and confirmed that he has received the three letters of nomination.
"I am gratified that these member
organizations have shown their support in me," he said from Lake Tahoe, "and the desire for change, which I sense is ever growing. I am doubly gratified as the mid-stream election rule changes were a
shock and surprise to everyone so it required some effort."
U.S. Soccer election regulations approved by the board of directors on
Sept. 1 require that candidates must submit to a background check and be nominated by a minimum of three members. They set out deadlines for nominations -- Dec. 12 -- and the release of the list of
registered delegates and later updates.
The only other announced
candidate is Paul Lapointe, a regional director of the UPSL, a growing national amateur league.
Incumbent U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati is eligible to run for one more
term but has not stated if he'll run. In the wake of the USA's exit from the World Cup, Gulati rebuffed suggestions that he should resign and said he'll decide in the coming weeks
whether he'll run again.
Hall of Famer and Fox Sports analyst Eric Wynalda is expected to enter the race while SI.com's Grant Wahl reported that Landon Donovan, another former U.S. national team star, was seriously
considering running for president.
Candidates are expected to speak to USASA members at a forum during the USASA's National Council meeting on Saturday afternoon. Gulati, Gans and
Lapointe had spoken to the Athletes' Council on Oct. 6 before the USA-Panama game in Orlando.
Hall of Fame. The USASA's weekend
ends on Saturday night with its Hall of Fame dinner. Former U.S. World Cup player Tony Sanneh, a USASA select team star in the 1990s, will be inducted along with Darius Ejlali, Ric
Olivas and Barb Trainor.
Hey Sunil, have some dignity and resign, go to play Cricket, your favorite sport. Landon Donovan for President, knows the game, played it, loves it and is a well educated executive.
Sunil is an amateur soccer fan and Donovan/Wynalda are amature executives. Given the choice I would take knowledge of how to develop a great player any day. "The American Klinsman" at the helm of US soccer would be a welcome change.
Wynalda and Donovan would be a waste. Donovan is USA's hope again....nah, reaching like we did with him being USAs hope. Wynalda Hall of Famer, that's how bad we are here in the US, sorry he was an avg player and he's just above the worst announcer in the game.....no one can take over the most overrated player of all time, Thee Lalas is the worst. As for Sunny, should have taken the mans way out like Arena. Sorry not Bruce's or Jurgens fault we didn't make WC, we aren't good enough. I don't think the USNMT could beat my over 30 Sunday rec team.
Steve Gans will bring everything to the table, if you don't know about him look him up.
Plz USC (not the SC Trojans, great name switch btw, not!) and USSF, change everything...except Tab and a couple coaches plz plz PLZ clean the board!!!
Wynalda and Donavan no. Gans knows the game and has organizational experience. Unless someone more qualified than Gans comes forward he is the best bet.
Armsstrong I like your comment about Gulati not taking the sword. My question is can't he be fired? And if not why not?