The options for the US Soccer Federation and its voting members have been fully focused: either stay the course or reverse it.
US Soccer confirmed Monday that incumbent Cindy Parlow Cone and former incumbent Carlos Cordeiro are the only two candidates running for the unpaid position of federation president at the annual general meeting in Atlanta on March 5, four years later. that eight people (Cordeiro, Kathy Carter, Eric Wynalda, Kyle Martino, Hope Solo, Steve Gans, Michael Winograd, Paul Caligiuri) sought the role and secured the necessary nominations to be able to apply.
The circumstances then were significantly different. It was a turning point and a moment of change. The men’s team had just not qualified for the 2018 World Cup, while the women’s team had been in a period of disputes with the federation for a couple of years due to alleged discrimination and inequality, the same issues at the center of legal disputes and Widely condemned documentation that ended up costing Cordeiro the role a couple of years later.
Cordeiro resigned the presidency in disgrace in March 2020, claiming “full responsibility” for offensive, sexist and misogynistic legal documents that denigrated the very players he proclaims as champions and is trying to win back as part of his candidacy. Time does not make up for an argument made under his supervision that disparaged female players and claimed that their ability and dexterity were less than their male counterparts and thus validated that they were paid less, and there is an unsettling element in his attempt to regain charge. .
As evidenced by his success on a crowded field in 2018, Cordeiro is adept at navigating the waters of soccer federation politics and has stayed close to the game in his current roles within Concacaf and FIFA. You wouldn’t run if you didn’t think you have enough backing to win. If the general public were to vote for the president of US Soccer, it is easy to see how Cordeiro’s candidacy would be a failure. It represents a rather terrible stain on the reputation of the federation. But what many don’t understand is that US Soccer is so much more than just its senior national teams. Those are the revenue-generating products and aspects of the federation that attract the most attention, but the membership is broad and covers all aspects of the sport in the country. And when it comes to the election, the off-the-radar contingent of that vast membership represents a good chunk of the voting population, and any candidate only needs a simple majority to side with them.
Images by Roy K. Miller / Imago
Cordeiro, who required nomination letters on official letterhead from at least three defined members of the organization and / or one of the three athlete members of the board of directors (according to US Soccer, they are Chris Ahrens, Nelson Akwari, Nicole Barnhart, Sean Boyle , Lori Lindsey, Oguchi Onyewu, Danielle Slaton), says that while speaking with some of those members, “I heard their desire for a new approach.” That comment alleges that not everyone is delighted with Parlow Cone’s leadership, which has taken place entirely through the pandemic and less-than-ideal circumstances, as he noted in his announcement to run for reelection. However, if there are unrest in enough corners of the vote, then there is an opportunity to seize.
However, much of what Cordeiro has promised if re-elected is aligned with what Parlow Cone is already seeking: investing in all members, inclusive governance, hosting men’s and women’s world cups and ensuring equal pay are the four pillars. fundamental of your campaign. She was also wrong in her initial campaign announcement by stating that US Soccer withdrew from the bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup (the bid has not yet started and Parlow Cone did not openly say that the US would not be in the bid. mixture). So what’s really new here, other than unearthing a dark period for the federation at a time when everyone is trying to move forward?
His goals include securing that elusive equal pay deal for the men’s and women’s national teams and solving the problem that went nuclear under his command, but in doing so, he presents himself as the stockbroker who wants to help you get your money back after guide you. to a great loss. The idea may be genuine, but is this really the time for a second chance? Or is the damage irreparable? “To find a solution, we must be bold. Also, given what happened two years ago, I feel that I have a personal responsibility to help solve this problem,” Cordeiro wrote.
No matter how sorry and sincere Cordeiro is now or at the time of his resignation (Parlow Cone even called him “a good man with a good heart” when taking the reins after his departure), “full responsibility” should not come with a expiration. date. In her campaign ad, Cordeiro once again attempted to explain her actions, or inactions, as the case may be, and her role in the legal filings, which Megan Rapinoe said last week represented “caveman levels of misogyny” in her reaction to your possible candidacy.
“On a personal level, leaving the position of president, a job he loved, was a great lesson in humility,” Cordeiro wrote. “I had put in place multiple levels of supervision to ensure that the litigation with the women’s national team was conducted in accordance with the values of our federation. In retrospect, I realize that a matter of this importance deserved much more personal supervision from me. part, so that the legal strategy and the documents presented by the federation showed our players the respect and dignity they deserve.
“When those layers of oversight failed, it resulted in the inexcusable and offensive legal presentation that caused so much pain, especially for our amazing players. If I had seen that language, I would have objected and never allowed it to be presented as written. Given the gravity Regarding what happened, words of apology clearly weren’t enough. As our federation president, I felt it was important to take responsibility. I think resigning was in the best interest of US Soccer at the time, and we are all indebted to Cindy Parlow Cone for take a step forward to serve in a difficult time. “
Obviously, Cordeiro believes that he has accumulated time served after nearly two years and is ready to get back in the game. Whether US Soccer sponsors (Budweiser, Visa, Coca-Cola, Volkswagen and Deloitte openly condemned the federation’s legal tactics under Cordeiro’s supervision) will agree it will be an important aspect of all this given the role of USA Cordeiro, It should be acknowledged, he helped ensure, and given that the federation’s television rights expire at the end of the year. The number of stakeholders at stake should not go unnoticed.
It was surely no coincidence that on Tuesday, after Cordeiro’s intentions were made public and official, Parlow Cone wrote an open letter to fans which provided an update on the status of the collective agreement negotiations with the men’s and women’s national teams, closed in 2021 and looked towards ’22. While she is surely focused on continuing to resolve ongoing litigation and ending the CBA and the loose ends of equal pay, it is also not that difficult to pinpoint the main flaw with her opponent and what her re-election would mean from the front. versus the organization’s point of view.
It should not be forgotten that he is still ending what would have been the end of Cordeiro’s four-year term had he not been forced to resign due to the events of March 2020. It is a stark reminder of why he is in the top seat as the headline to begin with and why it is not. Cordeiro’s career optics are pretty bad. Ultimately and tangibly, if the majority of the federation members agree or are willing to ignore it, that is all that matters.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.