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- 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.