Former USMNT Player Paul Caligiuri Says He'll Run For U.S. Soccer Federation Presidency
Former U.S. men's national team player Paul Caligiuri officially announced his run for the president of the U.S. Soccer Federation over Twitter on Friday.
He tweeted his announcement, along with the #Goal2019&2022 in reference to winning the next women's World Cup in 2019 and the next men's World Cup in 2022, reports ESPN.
Caligiuri is best known for scoring the only goal in the United States' 1-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in 1989 that sent the U.S. to the 1990 World Cup — it's first qualification in 40 years.
The U.S. missed the World Cup for the first time since then this year, losing to Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 13. The USA's loss, combined with wins by Panama and Honduras on the final qualification matchday, put the Americans in fifth in the CONCACAF hexagonal standings.
Since then, the future of U.S. Soccer has been up in the air, with manager Bruce Arena resigning less than a week after the loss.
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U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati did not resign after the failure to qualify, but he also has not yet indicated that he will be running for a fourth straight term. Carlos Cordeiro, Gulati's vice president, is also in the running for U.S. Soccer President. Boston lawyer Steve Gans and Massachusetts youth soccer official Paul Lapointe say they have secured the three nominations necessary to be in the running as well. Eric Wynalda, former U.S. great and current Fox Sports analyst, and Michael Winograd, a New York-based lawyer, both say they will be running, too.
Elections will be held February 10.
