Photo by blightylad1
I don’t know if my American soccer heart has ever been humbled as much as as it was Saturday. The ’98 World Cup still stings, but nothing quite like Saturday.
What humbled me had nothing to do with the pitch. It didn’t come from Cazorla, David Silva or Torres. It wasn’t even those dreadful beauty pageant strips our boys are still wearing. No, it came from a halftime show and from a man I’ll admit I had never heard of until he popped on my screen. U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati couldn’t have been any more obvious with how relatively low in importance this sport is to Americans.
Asked about the federation’s vote to give Sepp Blatter another term as FIFA President, Gulati shot out this gem: “I don’t think taking the moral high ground is the right thing to do.”
To hear such remarks from the president of any organization should induce a cringe, let alone our country’s representative to the body that oversees the world’s favorite sport. It’s safe to assume if an American representative to any global body said or even thought such nonsense they would be removed from their post. The media would have a field day. Even the person who put such a gutless coward in charge would be thrown in the boiler.
But sadly only soccer fans will ever see Gulati’s slap to the face of American integrity. Not only is soccer of so little importance here that no one would notice, but the U.S. Soccer Federation is in such a low standing place where morals are set aside for the slimmest hope of political gain.
It seems then the U.S. is to FIFA as Kazakhstan is to the United Nations. Just a vote. Just a mindless sheep with no reason to shake the boat in hopes one day it might be noticed again. Forget that viral video of the celebrations after Donovan’s goal last summer – soccer does not mean anything to America. While it certainly feels the sport has grown on American soil in leaps and bounds over the past couple of decades, Saturday proved for all that has been accomplished, the USA is still pre-1994 when it comes to the global stage.
More telling than that 4-0 pummeling from the world champs was that statement.
When it comes to soccer, American exceptionalism is more of an idea than the ideal. We still have a long way to go. Let’s just hope we take the moral high ground to get there.
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Sancho
June 8, 2011 at 2:49 pm
In politics, some moves are hard to judge. How could a breakdown on FIFA actually help the game? I say that because the US position cannot be known through this move alone. The point here is to see what USSF will do from now on. Perhaps, Blatter is a necessary evil after all. I don’t know, but since we are not involved directly in the turmoil, I think we should wait and see…
Joe
June 8, 2011 at 1:38 pm
I think its comon knowledge that Alexi Lalas has no love for the US Soccer Prez. You could hear it in his voice when he asked his question. He, Sunil, is in it for his own personal self promotion and no other reason. Not taking the moral road? Really? Is this the guy reperesenting US Soccer. It seems to me that he’s made one more wrong decision in a long line of bad decisions. How many more can we take? Let’s get US soccer out the stands and onto the stage. We have the talent pool let’s take advantage of it.
Leo Glickman
June 8, 2011 at 1:24 pm
@ Earl “Great Britain” is not at all the same thing as the English FA. Indeed, the Welsh FA opposed England’s proposal.
It is also a bit naive to hold England or anyone else out as any hero in this. the English FA like the rest of the federations have all been a part of this dirty game at FIFA, and England only spoke up because they didn’t get the WC. Neither the English FA nor our own Chuck Blazer are innocents here.
Having said all that, What Gulati said was truly remarkable. A great lesson for all the kiddies watching at home “taking the moral high ground isn’t the right thing to do.”
I sent Sunil an email the monday night before the vote urging the USSF to vote for a delay in the vote and if not, for it to abstain. He sent me a pleasant and non-boilerplate but ultimately non-committal email reply, which I appreciated. Still, I would have at least expected him to keep quiet on the secret ballot. This was kind of outrageous.
AmericanizeSoccer.com
June 7, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Isn’t being Prez of Kraft Soccer and USSF, a conflict of interest?—Agree with everything said here and I think the author did justice in this article making light of the fact that the score couldn’t compare to how idiotic that statement was by him.
Eric B
June 7, 2011 at 9:14 pm
@Rex: US Soccer isn’t Sunil Gulati’s personal fiefdom, the likes of Dan Flynn and the rest of the Board of Directors loved the huge crowd no matter what the result. Also, big money matched like that have been spread out much more on the last five years, and still wondering how Sunil’s position with Kraft has led to a conflict of interest that much. Would you rather have Dr. Bob or Richard Groff as Pres?
The original Tom
June 7, 2011 at 6:34 pm
I don’t know why we don’t put ourselves on the line- there’s not another world cup vote for 9 years. CONCACAF is not going to get less than 2 places so we’ll be qualifying. The woman’s world cup will come back in due time- they could use the money. Not much to loose, why not do the right thing?
connor
June 7, 2011 at 6:06 pm
If this wasn’t so sickening it would be pretty funny. He basically just said that the right thing to do isn’t the right thing to do.
Rex
June 7, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Gulatti is an elitist type who could care less about what everyone else thinks. “Did YOU go to Columbia? Didnt think so… so shut up.” I am sure that goes through his head when asked a question. Soccer in general is just sickening. From FIFA to US Soccer. From bob Bradley to this fiasco, Gulatti is a joke just taking advantage of a big money maker with little media oversight . To his credit he has had a very positive impact on the economics of US Soccer, but that could all change if he continues to the $$ at all costs.
DONT FORGET HE IS PREZ OF KRAFT SOCCER AKA THE REVS AKA GILLETTE STADIUM AKA LOTS OF $$ FOR A BUTTKICKING RIGHT BEFORE THE GOLD CUP!
Eric B
June 7, 2011 at 1:01 pm
You’d never heard of Sunil Gulati before that interview? How new to soccer in the US are you?
dan
June 7, 2011 at 12:03 pm
I too was disgusted but not surprised. I don’t hold Gulatti in high regard at all and feel that he is just a politician who knows absolutely nothing about the beautiful game. He has made many errors before and sadly this won’t be his last.
Charles
June 7, 2011 at 10:15 am
Ditto to what everyone else said.
The US now compared to pre-1994 ?
In terms of soccer quality on the field and interest from fans, it isn’t even close.
In terms of the morals and intregrity ? US soccer is right there with the rest of the world….
……it isn’t even close, but not in a good way. Disgraceful.
AtlantaPompey
June 7, 2011 at 9:41 am
Wow! I was floored by what he said during halftime. Admittedly, I was already in a bad mood after that first half. We shouldn’t take the moral high ground? Then apparently we don’t have any morals, which explains why we voted for Sepp Blatter. I agree with Earl that Blatter probably orchestrated this mess. FIFA is an embarrassment to the greatest game in the world.
Earl Reed
June 7, 2011 at 8:07 am
We basically left our counterparts in Great Britain out to dry. In many arenas, we look to England as our ally, seeking her support to help bolster the ideas that our country holds dear. For all of that, when it comes to soccer, we shrivel and cower at the thought that showing our solidarity against deception and greed might cost us a revote, or perhaps tournament in the 2030’s that we likely have little chance of getting regardless.
Personally, I think our campaign for 2018 (and then 2022) should have failed anyway. I’m not an “in the tank” American who believes that every conversation ends with us. Realistically, Australia probably deserves to host a World Cup before a repeat visit to the United States, and certainly much, much more than the arid wasteland where it will be played in eleven years.
In other words, sorry, if I were in Gulati’s shoes, I would have abstained from Blatter, even if he promised something outlandish, such as a revote for 2022 with Qatar DQ’d from the process. The ONLY reason any mention of “reform” came from Blatter’s mouth was to preserve his own ass. I tend to believe that these “revelations” have been orchestrated by Blatter to undermine bin Hamman, and now Sepp is in the process of doing everything he can to put the lid back on the worm can.