US Soccer’s prior knowledge of FIFA’s criminal wrongdoing raises more questions than answers

I’m always surprised when I hear stories about how some people never knew that their closest friends were involved in corruption.  In the modern world, let’s forget about soccer for a second, how can you NOT know something is going on right next to you with the amount of information that is available to us all?

After it was revealed that Chuck Blazer made corrupt deals on American soil for more than a decade, did many in the media here in the US decide to go silent or take a more nonchalant role in investigating the connection with US soccer?  Sure, they did.  Why? There were many things going on in the sports calendar, no doubt. Yet it was a story that was pertinent to what was going on in FIFA. But more attention should have been paid to it, not brushed aside the way it was by many.

In Wednesday’s US Senate panel hearing on corruption in soccer, some of the Spanish-language US media outlets such as ESPN Deportes played excerpts of the hearing and discussed what went on.  Some went as far as saying that ‘it might not be a lot, but it is a first step.’  It did leave US Soccer (especially Sunil Gulati) in a negative light within the international community because of the monk-like silence he has decided to take on throughout this entire ordeal.

During the US Senate panel hearing, US Soccer Federation CEO Dan Flynn said, “I was aware of some level of discomfort but it was all a general feeling. So, I had no hard evidence and we wanted to continue to participate in trying to influence (FIFA) as one of 209 members.”

However, Flynn later conceded that USSF decided to play ball with the likes of Blazer and Warner rather than follow-up on what was causing the “level of discomfort” because “we had other things to do to help build our sport.”

SEE MORE — The reaction from US soccer media to US Senate hearing on corruption in soccer.

While many in English were already nominating Sunil Gulati for canonization and propping him up as the next president of FIFA after the DOJ and FBI did all of the hard work to begin prosecuting corrupt CONCACAF and FIFA officials, there were some that asked the big question: “How did Gulati not know about Chuck Blazer and Jeffrey Webb and Eduardo Li?” These were individuals that he fraternized with at the Paradise Island hotel in the Bahamas back in April.

People forget that CONCACAF was a united front.  Every member of CONCACAF voted UNANIMOUSLY for Jeffrey Webb to continue his tenure as leader of a “reformed” federation.

International publications such as Marca and The Guardian weighed in on these topics, and even the highly-rated Jorge Ramos show on ESPN Deportes spoke extensively about the issues.  So, the belief that some elements of the press have not been “caring” or “brushing it aside” is not true.  Truth be told, a hearing where no one was subpoenaed or sworn in takes a bit out of this all.  Yet seeing Dan Flynn squirm like a kid that didn’t study for a pop quiz said volumes.

It’s quite amazing that Gulati, an executive committee member, did not know that money for the Goal Project has gone missing in various parts of CONCACAF.  It was amazing to know that someone so high up in the spheres of power at an organization has absolutely no clue as to what is going on around him.

SEE MORE — Choice quotes from US Senate panel hearing into soccer corruption.

Investigative reporter Andrew Jennings said his piece, albeit in interrupted fashion.  He hit some points, but he just enjoyed being in front of the mic and wanted to be the star.  Unfortunately, for him he wasn’t granted the spotlight he so direly longed for.

That spotlight went to Dan Flynn.  He pretty much put himself in the hole from the get go. His contradictions were prevalent from the beginning.  He went from not knowing anything about corruption to feeling “discomfort” about what was going on in CONCACAF elections where Jack Warner asked for “sealed votes.”  If he was so uncomfortable, then why didn’t he file a complaint or do something about it?

The way the FIFA culture works is that it’s focused on cooperation and enabling (looking the other way).  Ask individuals like former CONCACAF senior vice-president Lyle Austin or longtime head of the St. Kitts and Nevis FA Peter Jenkins as to what happens when you don’t follow the script.

Going back to the US Senate panel hearing for a minute, do these politicians care about soccer in this country in the grand scheme of things? I could probably count more people that consider underwater basketweaving as a source of employment.

Is the Senate going to be the answer to clean up the sport’s organizing body?  Well, we saw how effective the government was in getting steroids out of baseball.  Let’s be honest, the only reason the US government got involved was because of CONCACAF’s brashness in using banks here for their activities. That, and not paying taxes, are going to whip up the most ire from Uncle Sam.

The amounts of money moved around made American politicians realize it’s big business. Is it part of a political charade? Maybe.  It doesn’t take much to appease constituents when it comes to these types of issues, especially when the Iran deal and Greece’s austerity package are still dominating news cycles on and off of Capitol Hill.

There have been some wonderful stories that have emerged because of the rapid evolution of soccer in this country. Everything from the national team to the players that leave it all out on the pitch in the domestic leagues, to the fans, make the US such a great story.  They make you crack a smile because you remember the days when the mainstream in the US featured soccer as the butt of all jokes.

I am not writing this to make you think anyone is guilty of anything. That road is still a long one and there will probably be other names that fall sooner rather than later. I am writing this to make you think. A great part of this country’s media failed in stimulating you into doing exactly that. That is where “we,” and I include myself, have come up short.  Why?  As Senator Blumenthal said the “silence is deafening, and sometimes inaction signals complicity.” Our omission shows exactly that.

To what extent, well, that question has to be answered by all of us because we’ve failed the people that look to us to inform them, not tell them that all is good.  Those same people that are looking to be informed are the number one reason why the sport has grown and they deserve that more than anyone else.