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Carlos Cordeiro wins U.S. Soccer presidential election

By Jake Walerius

Carlos Cordeiro, member of the management board at BHP Billiton Ltd., attends the annual general meeting (AGM) of BHP Billiton Plc in London, U.K., on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's largest mining company, expects China's growth to decline to about 7 percent to 8 percent this year and stay at this level for the next decade as the nation becomes a consumer-led economy. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Carlos Cordeiro, member of the management board at BHP Billiton Ltd., attends the annual general meeting (AGM) of BHP Billiton Plc in London, U.K., on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's largest mining company, expects China's growth to decline to about 7 percent to 8 percent this year and stay at this level for the next decade as the nation becomes a consumer-led economy. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images /
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Carlos Cordeiro will replace Sunil Gulati as the president of U.S. Soccer after beating out a crowded field in Saturday’s election.

Carlos Cordeiro won Saturday’s U.S. Soccer presidential election after three rounds of voting, beating a field of seven other candidates, among which his closest competitors were Soccer United Marketing president Kathy Carter and former players and TV personalities Kyle Martino and Eric Wynalda.

There was no winner after the first round of voting, which had to be re-done after a problem with the voting keypads. Cordeiro got the largest share of votes, with 36.3 percent, Carter was second (34.6) and Wynalda was third (13.7). Paul Caligiuri, who got 0.5 percent of the vote in the first round, withdrew.

Cordeiro increased his share of the lead in the second round of voting to 41.8 percent. Carter and Wynalda remained second and third, but their shares of the vote both decreased, to 33.3 and 10.8 respectively. Martino increased his share to 10.2, while Michael Wynograd and Steve Gans withdrew.

Cordeiro got the 50-plus percent of votes necessary to win the election in the third round of voting, with 68.6 percent of the vote. Carter and Martino were level on 10.6 percent of the vote, Wynalda moved down to 8.9 percent and USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo received 1.4 percent of the vote.

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The result comes at the end of a months-long campaign that began following the U.S. men’s national team’s loss to Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 10, a result that ensured the team wouldn’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The campaign involved no shortage of controversy, and more than one lawsuit, as candidates laid out their visions for the future of U.S. Soccer.

Cordeiro represents something of a compromise between the “change” candidates, Wynalda, Martino and Solo, and the establishment candidate, Carter, president of MLS’ marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing. Cordeiro is literally part of the establishment, a member of the U.S. Soccer board since 2007 and vice president since 2016, but has positioned himself as a reform candidate with the necessary experience to bring about change.

Saturday morning, Grant Wahl reported that the Athletes Council, which controls 20 percent of the overall vote, would vote as a bloc for Carlos Cordeiro, making him the favorite along with Kathy Carter, who reportedly secured the votes of all NWSL delegates (4.8 percent of the total vote) Friday night. That Athletes Council, it seems, made a telling difference.

Wahl also reported there were was an attempt Friday night by five of the six “change” candidates — Wynalda, Kyle Martino, Hope Solo, Michael Winograd and Steve Gans — to rally voters around whoever among them emerged as the most popular after the first round of voting. Those attempts seemed to break down, and the group failed to issue an official statement.

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