By Clemente Lisi - NEW YORK, NY (Jan 14, 2010) USSoccerPlayers -- United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati had a busy 2009. He is expected to have an even busier 2010.
Gulati has been at the helm of US Soccer since 2006. During his tenure, he hired Bob Bradley to coach the US National Team and helped put together the USA’s bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
He is not shy about talking up the US team (especially after coming off such a great year) and is looking forward to this summer’s World Cup after the Americans qualified for their sixth straight tournament.
USSoccerPlayers caught up with Gulati following last month’s World Cup draw to discuss the USA’s World Cup hopes and the year ahead for American soccer.
Overall, we were very pleased with the draw. We talked before the Confederations Cup about the value of playing in South Africa a year before the World Cup, and we believe the fact that our games will all take place in venues that we have previously played in will be a big plus for us. We are clearly in a competitive group, and at the same time we know expectations will be high. We are confident we will be ready for the challenge.
The first-round game against England should be great. Could MLS have asked for a better match-up considering that Landon Donovan and David Beckham are teammates?
There are a lot of reasons why a USA-England game will attract significant interest, and certainly having the Galaxy’s two marquee players matching up is a big part of it. There is a history and tradition between the two nations, and there is a big following in this country of both MLS and the English Premier League. Having this game kicking off our group on a Saturday afternoon in June couldn’t be a better situation. The attention that is focused on this match will be huge.
The US had an excellent 2009. What did you learn from watching the team?
If you had said before the year started that the US team would compete in back-to-back tournament finals, beat the No. 1-ranked team in the world in a meaningful game and finish in first place in CONCACAF qualifying, I’d say we would be happy. First and foremost, we qualified for the World Cup in one of the toughest final groups in our region’s history. Can we continue to make progress? Of course, but we are clearly headed in the right direction.
There were also, however, some disappointments. The US came very close to winning the Confederations Cup and later the Gold Cup. Does it matter that they didn’t take home a trophy?
We competed in back-to-back tournaments with almost two completely different squads and reached the finals of both events. Those are significant accomplishments. Having said that, are we disappointed that we didn’t finish the job against Brazil? Absolutely. Unfortunately, we are not the first team to learn that lesson against a team like Brazil. The Gold Cup final obviously was a very difficult situation and the second half was painful. It would be impossible to lose to Mexico at home by five goals and be anything but very disappointed.
Last year’s string of preseason friendlies throughout this country featuring world-class clubs was a great way to expose US fans to the world’s greatest teams. I saw you at the DC United-Real Madrid game in suburban Washington, DC, and despite the heat, you told me you had a great time. Will these same types of teams return in the summer of 2010?
Things will be different because of the World Cup, but it looks like we’ll be hosting a number of top international teams again this summer.
What are your, and US Soccer’s, goals for 2010?
On the field, obviously we would like to have a good performance in South Africa. Our youth and women’s teams will be in qualifying for the U-17 and U-20 World Cups, and we continue to grow the US Soccer Development Academy, while researching the best way to improve player development on the women’s side. Off the field, our biggest goal is to deliver the World Cup tournament back to the United States in either 2018 or 2022, a decision, which will be made by FIFA in December. I am both confident and optimistic. Continued improvement in refereeing, coaching, outreach, and international relations are on the agenda -- as they are every year.
Major League Soccer continues to grow. How excited are you to see a team in Philadelphia after a grassroots effort led to the league placing a franchise there?
Philadelphia is going to be a fantastic market for MLS. As you’ve mentioned, there is strong grassroots support for the team, they are building a good framework there with two former national team assistants as part of the coaching staff, and most significantly they will begin their existence with a soccer specific stadium to call their own. The whole League has been energized by seeing what an expansion team like Seattle can accomplish, and there are high hopes for Philadelphia as well.
The New York Red Bulls will be playing in a new stadium. How exciting is that for its fans considering the team has not traditionally done well over the past few years?
There is no question that New York is an important market for the League. There have been challenges throughout the years, and the opportunity to begin play in an accessible state-of-the-art facility will bring a fresh start to the organization both on and off the field.
What is your prediction for how the US will do in South Africa?
History has shown that predictions about any team in the World Cup are a difficult proposition. Just look at France, who went from winning the tournament in 1998 to not even scoring a goal in group play in 2002. There are also some very good teams who will be watching this summer’s games from home. What I can say is that I believe the U.S is going to be a competitive team in the tournament.
Who will win the World Cup?
Unless you are Brazil, you don’t step off the plane in South Africa expecting to win the World Cup. Every team goes there with dream of holding the trophy, but only seven countries in history have done it. Given that this is the first World Cup in Africa and that the conditions will be great for soccer. I think there may be some surprises along the way. It’s going to be a very exciting event.
Clemente Lisi is the author of “A History of the World Cup: 1930-2006.” Contact him at: CAL4477@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter at: twitter.com/ClementeLisi
