By IVES GALARCEP
Sunil Gulati already had his share of clout in the soccer world, but after Friday’s vote to select a new FIFA Executive Committee representative from North America, Gulati is that much more powerful.
The U.S. Soccer President can now add FIFA ExCo member to his title after edging out Mexican Soccer Federation president Justino Compean by the narrowest of margins.
Gulati won by a single vote.
Representatives from CONCACAF’s 35 federations voted and Gulati won the ote on the strength of support from Caribbean nations. Only two of the 18 votes he received weren’t from Caribbean federations (One vote as from the United States (himself) while the other was from Canada).
Compean received support from Central America, and also from some Caribbean Islands, but fell one vote short.
Gulati will now serve a four-year term as one of three CONCACAF representatives on the FIFA Executive Committee. He is replacing fellow American Chuck Blazer, who declined to run for the position again amid allegations of corruption throughout CONCACAF.
Here is a breakdown of the voting by federation:
GULATI- Â Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands
COMPEAN — Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Suriname
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What do you think of this development? See Gulati’s victory providing a boost for American soccer? Wondering when someone will step up to challenge him for his position as U.S. Soccer president?
Share your thoughts below.
I don’t know anything about the Mexican candidate but I think Gulati is an ethical person. Im glad his eyes and ears will be in the committee room.
but not his chin! (thump ting)
At the end of the day, isn’t an Ex-Co position much more powerful than leading CONCACAF?
As an Ex-Co you spend your days in Switzerland getting wined and dined by the entire world. As the CONCACAF pres you are shipping around the Western Hemisphere trying to keep a bunch of carribean nations with no hope of qualifying for the world cup happy (no offense intended).
Very true.
But wasn’t the US in that same boat ( “no hope of qualifying for the World Cup”) at one time? Both Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago have qualified, so let’s just say little hope (as opposed to no) when we talk about Caribbean Countries.
Maybe he’ll need to spend much more time with concacaf and we can find someone new to oversee USSF.
This won’t mean anything for the USA unless he learns how to bribe, lie, cheat and steal like the rest of them.
I am surprised that Gulati is not the CONCACAF president by now.
Maybe that’s his next target. Let America rules CONCACAF
another 4 years of corruption
Can he leave the us presidency now? Please? Wait, can he be fired? Or does he have to resign?
The President position is voted on by the membership, does not get paid, and doesn’t have THAT much power. Sec General Dan Flynn and the Executive Committee call a lot of the shots
Seems like the countries didnt even look at the candidates resume.
For the most part, Spanish speakers voted for Mexico. English speakers for the USA.
Honestly, it’s time to toss ‘morality’ out of the window.
We have the most money. Let’s bribe. Let’s rig. Let’s buy everything.
It’s the FIFA way (ok, being sarscastic).
After Chuck Blazer I’m surprised they elected another American
With only two exceptions out of 35 votes, this election represents a stark divide along a very interesting fault line: English-speaking member nations vs. non-English-speaking member nations. In fact, Gulati did not get a single vote from any CONCACAF nation where English is not the first language. Veeeeery interesting indeed…
I noted that as well. Good thing the vote wasn’t decided on merits.
By what measure does Compean represent a better choice than Gulati? Considering how much love Mexicans don’t have for all things related to American soccer (save only, of course, for the fat bank they can mine from staging El Tri games on our turf), I’d say Gulati’s election represents a bullet dodged.
most mexican fans don’t care about american soccer
disagree…most Mexicans hate American
hate means you care
*American SOCCER
We lost the French-speakers and Dutch-speakers?!? And, what’s up with Puerto Rico?
Very interesting, if not unexpected. Very stark lines. Also, all of the countries that voted for us suck, besides us and Jamaica.
T&T don’t suck, but you’re mostly right.
That said, a lot of the Central American nations can’t separate national politics from sport. They simply can’t fathom that the USSF wouldn’t try to scr*w them at every turn, even though they would be glad to be doing the scr*wing if they were in the driver’s seat.
Case in point: Costa Rica’s FA trying to move CRC-USA match to Estadio Saprissa after initially scheduling it at their National Stadium.
they want it at Sparissa becasue it’s like playing on a parking lot…they like that advantage
Belize is the only English-speaking nation that voted for the Mexican. What is up with them?
half of the population of Belize is hispanic
Ummm…. Barbados is English-speaking — it’s a former Brit colony.
True, but we put the hurt on Barbados in the 2008/9 WCQ cycle, and they’re still upset.
(1) There are more Caribbean nations than Central American nations
(2) Costa Rica changed its vote on March 23, 2013
Puerto Rico voted against us? I know they’re mostly independent in soccer but wow….
So much for their statehood!
Statehood? Don’t want it!
And Puerto Rico is not mostly independent in soccer. It’s completely independent. Chris Armas almost didn’t get to play for the USMNT because he had played for PR (in the end FIFA decided that the Sun Cup was an unofficial tournament and so did not cap-tie him).
I can’t help but wonder that if Gulati had held this position, instead of Warner at the time, if it would have helped us secure WC 2022.
Sorry meant Blazer, not Warner, but Gulati could end up at Warner’s level, or higher.
In response to your question,….no.
What everyone should be asking themselves is,….ifgiven that Gulati was so involved in US soccer and CONCACAF for so long,…how is it that he never stood up to Warner and all if the blatant abuse that was going on in the region and FIFA.
Answer,…because he was waiting for this moment.