2022 World Cup News: AMERICANS ARE DISAPPOINTED BUT THE GAME IS STILL IN US

“We’ve got a country of 320 million people with a great soccer story,” says Sunil Gulati.  The USA will continue to celebrate soccer - just not by helping FIFA with the 2022 World Cup.

There is has been much controversy this morning since the FIFA announcement awarding the 2022 World Cup to a country few have ever heard of, and few, as of now, have any desire to visit.  There are so many concerns; the unrest of the Middle East, the extreme heat, the logistics of the massive infrastructure needed to pull off a successful and profitable World Cup....Whas this really in the best interest of soccer?  Did FIFA fulfill its obligations to the citizens of the world by awarding Qatar the honor of hosting the 2022 World Cup?  Is FIFA’s President Blatter really helping soccer or just himself?

So many questions abound – and so much maligning of the President of FIFA, this is obviously a political bomb that will continue to explode as the days, months and perhaps even years pass.

On a positive note, Sunil Gulati, president of U.S. soccer and chairman of USA bid committee was interviewed this morning and answered some tough questions.  Gulati says “Obviously, we’re disappointed.  We put a lot of hard work in.  We had a great bid and I think we’ve told a great story that is accurate about American soccer.  We’re disappointed for the millions of fans that got behind the bid, and everyone that’s been involved, the cities around the country, starting at the White House and President Clinton, who has been fantastic.  There’s no other response or feeling that you are going to have in such a situation other than sharp disappointment.”

The USA Bid Committee worked hard and tirelessly on the presentation to FIFA.  Everyone wants to know how America could have lost to a tiny country in the Middle East that doesn’t even have a recognized soccer team. 

When Gulati was asked if the decision was fair, he responded, “We think we had the best story and we think we had a great bid, but I want to congratulate Qatar.  We accept the result.  Games are won and lost.  Sometimes you dominate and lose, sometimes you get outplayed and win, but (this) is not like that.  This is an election.  Do elections have fair results?  As long as the elections are fair then you accept the results.  From that perspective, we have no issues.”

While Gulati speaks politically correct, most soccer experts are not so kind. So many allegations of corruption have been made, and there has been rampant speculation of misconduct. Are these just angry fans with sour grapes or are there hidden truths that the American public and the world’s soccer fans should know? Was this really a fair and unbaised election or just a quiet agreement amongst appointed members of a committee bound by loyalty to the Chairman?

Many soccer fans are asking for the voting process to be re-evaluated by FIFA.  Gulati says, “I am sure FIFA is going to evaluate this process.  But that’s up to FIFA and not something I am going to comment on today.”

One of the most important concerns is how this failed bid to win the 2022 World Cup will impact soccer in the USA.  Gulati says “What we’ve always said is we are on a trend line that’s positive for this sport, whether it’s the league or the national team.  I’ve always viewed this as a huge pedal, and a World Cup hosted in the U.S. would give us a foot down on that pedal and take us to a new trend line.  So, we are obviously not going to have that.  Will that trend line still be positive?  Yes.  Will we still get to where all of us – where Don (Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer) and I and others – want to get?  The answer is yes.  It’s going to take longer.  It’s going to be harder.  This was a big part of that plan.  There’s no way around that.”

Will the USA try again to host a World Cup in the future?  “I believe we can or we wouldn’t have entered.  There are a lot of countries in the world that want to host these events.  The World Cup has become one that people have figured out a way to do it and not lose a lot of money, especially if you don’t have any infrastructure issues. Clearly in the two winners today there will be a lot of infrastructure needs and commitments have been made by the governments.  So the answer is yes.  I believe the U.S. can host,”says Gulati.

When asked what the USA Bid Committee would have done differently, if one could have the chance, Gulati says, “I knew that question would get asked and I’ve said to a couple of our national team coaches in the last few years, ‘What would you do differently?,’ so it’s a question I always ask.” 

Gulati continues “I’m always surprised when someone says I wouldn’t do anything differently.  Unless you’ve just won the World Cup or in this case won the right to host the World Cup, it goes through your mind and of course you think about everything.  Can I sit here today and say these are the seven things we would do differently?  The answer is no.  I think we did everything we could, but over the next few days will I say, ‘What else could we have done?’ Of course.  Did we do everything perfectly?  Of course not.  I think we tried to do everything we could and have a campaign that we’re proud of.”

Hear this all for yourself at  http://www.ussoccer.com/Multimedia/Media-Center.aspx#/id=72f087c9-c372-4324-86b4-aca63cbd388b

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