In what has become one of the most interesting U.S. Soccer Presidential Election race in some time, the federation announced the official candidates who will be bidding to be the next U.S. Soccer Federation president for the foreseeable future. Hope Solo, who had previously posted on her Facebook page her intentions to bid for the role, was among the candidates named by the federation this afternoon.
The list includes names that are well-known within US Soccer
A lot has been said about the next steps for the federation should be after the United States Men's National Team failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which ultimately led to current president Sunil Gulati stepping away from the role once his tenure ends. The candidates who will be running for the position are as follows: Paul Caligiuri, Kathy Carter, Carlos Cordeiro, Steve Gans, Kyle Martino, Hope Solo, Michael Winograd and Eric Wynalda.
The names listed above should be familiar to those who follow the game, due to their on field or off field exploits. Martino, Caligiuri, Solo, and Wynalda are all former players who went through the system from youth level all the way to the senior national team level and have played professionally in leagues within the country. Others like Carter, Cordeiro, and Gans have worked on the business side of things for the federation and it seems as though there is a good mix of potential candidates listed once all was said and done.
To become an official candidate, the above names had to:
- Complete a background check.
- Submit at least three (3) letters of nomination on official letterhead from Organization Members (as defined in Bylaw 302) and/or one of three Athlete Members of the Board of Directors.
Solo may bring a unique viewpoint, in spite of her off the field reputation
When matched up against her opponents, Solo is the only one who has a somewhat checkered public reputation (which many will know all about). Even with the negatives, she may bring in terms of public relations, Solo is one of only two female candidates running and compared to Kathy Carter, has more to offer to the average soccer fan.
As previously stated, Solo has played at all levels in the national team set up (she currently holds all goalkeeping records for the United States Women's National Team)and has played professionally in the various women's professional leagues, including the National Women's Soccer League. During the last year or so, Solo has also been involved in many youth leadership programs across the globe and has met with various leaders involved with soccer across the world. She may not have the Soccer United Marketing connection that Carter has but that may actually work for her as many are skeptical of how things could change under a "company woman" like Carter.
Solo, along with the rest of the potential candidates, has outlined their plans and objectives for the federation should she be elected, and it will be interesting to see who the business minds on the current USSF board decide to go with when all is said and done.