Hope Solo has hoped to make a difference in U.S. Soccer, with her running for President taking center stage.
The former USWNT keeper has heated things up by issuing a statement on her website in regards to the United States Soccer Federation and a violation of the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.
Solo later states in her piece that the federation’s “main priority is protecting and building Major League Soccer, at the expense of our youth, the women’s game, and our place in the global game”.
The 38-page report goes on to not only talk about the federation’s interest in MLS but also how much money their partnership with SUM is generating.
A full report of the complain can be found at Solo’s website.
Solo is one of eight candidates that has met the rights to stand for election for the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Presidency. The election is scheduled to take place on Feb. 10th at the U.S. Soccer’s National Council Meeting in Orlando.
She is absolutely right. MLS pretty much forced USSF to approve TFC. So incestuous was the relationship that votes on Vancouver and Montreal were never held. One can argue convincingly that those teams have helped MLS. Whether they have helped soccer in the US – or even Canada – is another matter. Anyway, the USSF decision was far from independent.
Maybe I haven’t kept up on the “presidential race”, but here is the gig.
All the things that everyone is talking about that needs to be done…..take money, huge amounts of money.
I am all for the reform, as she calls it. NO ONE hates pay to play more than me. (And I wasn’t one that was fooled into thinking the Jurgen hated pay to play)
BUT
If she can’t balance MLS and SUM money making or doesn’t believe that it takes money. She isn’t going to be right for all the things that all of us, including her, are upset about.
And that is the problem, if there is a problem, about the complaining about the womans’ game and the lack of compensation and fairness. It isn’t fair. When a rec team plays in front of 40 parents who didn’t pay to get in. It is going to be tough to have them play in the Sounder’s stadium for $1mm per player salary. When Real Madrid plays it is different. Her Reign are WAAAAY closer to the rec team.
So they paint the player dugouts themselves and play on a lesser field and don’t make as much.
The right person for the job will be able to keep everyone happy ( or at least not mad ) while continuing the success of woman’s soccer from top to bottom, improve the men’s side from top to bottom, while being able to increase all revenues to be able to do both.
Good luck.
Your last paragraph sums it up nicely. Solo and Wynaldo neither seem to have the personality to manage. They are good at complaining and their complaints may be valid. That does not mean they have the talent to get cooperation from all the parties (MLS, USYSA, WSL, DA, USL, NASL, YES, US National teams, AYSO and the thousands of youth and ehtnic leagues in the US) many of which make and break alliances with each other and feud amongst themselves on what seems like a daily basis.
Hope is right!!! However, it will take a lot of resources to prove it in a lawsuit. IMHO, she would have had a better chance in a lawsuit over what they did to her for her comments at
the Olympics. As for running for USSF President, I agree with Joe. The outsiders will have to consolidate their efforts to overcome the establishment, and even if they do, it would still be a long shot. Maybe Hope should consider getting into bed with Kathy, and seeing if they
can level the playing field for the females.
Solo, Wynalda, and Martino all need to consolidate their bids into a single candidate to have any chance of beating Kathy. They should know already and should have already done it. They all know the stakes, we need to win our federation back.
To win ” our ” Federation back ? from Whom? The US Federation works thanks to the money from SUM and MLS.
Our federation is controlled by MLS/SUM and makes decisions for MLS/SUM’s business interest rather than in the interest of growing and promoting soccer at all levels with the US as its mandated to do by FIFA.
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In regards to Solo. Not my cup of tea as a person but I would gladly take her any day and Sunday over Kathy Carter since its means MLS/SUM won’t be in control of our federation any more. I’d rather Mickey Mouse win than Kathy Carter.
Garber spoke to Grant Wahl and reponded in written format to the MLS SUM relationship which is extensive as you seem to already know. Currently USSF is guaranteed ONLY $30MM/yr from SUM. This is ridiculously low in regards to the revenue produced by all USSF TV rights across Mens and Womens NT WCs, GCs, WCQs, Friendlies, Jersey sales, ticket sales, marketing sponsorships.
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$30MM a year is a f-ing joke, but you already know that too it would seem. Crawl back under your rock at the MLS office and enjoy your itsy bitsy check.
Here is the link for Garber’s written response to Grant’s questions
https://www.si.com/soccer/2018/01/25/sum-soccer-united-marketing-garber-gulati-carter
BTW, Solo is free today on a technicality , she should be on prison for assault or in a mental institution for crazy. That’s the person you want as a Soccer President?
She is right, but dont see how you can make up this a lawsuit. If she weren’t such a buffoon maybe she would have a shot at winning the election and making a difference. As it is we all know Cathy Clark or whatever her name is will win. She is Sunils puppett. She is part of SUM which is the money machine for USSF and is owned by MLS owners. SUM is why we had so many crappy MLS’ers on the pitch against T&T and why the US lost. If they want to help MLS stop expaning and diluting and already watered down league. MLS is bad unattractive soccer to begin with.
You don’t know what the hell are you talking about., Without the MLS and SUM money the Federation will be bankrupt in seconds. Solo is a walking accident ready to happens beside to being crazy as ” angry” Eric Wynalda.
Read the report you must, powerful the dark side had become