Full forecast by Eric Elwell,
Stopping club’s relocation would be high on his list.
Eric Wynalda COLUMBUS — spoke and took questions for nearly two hours Sunday before the question expected by most in the audience at the Fawcett Center finally came.
Given that Wynalda, one of eight candidates for United States Soccer Federation president, the election for which will be held next month, and his team sched- uled a town hall in Colum- bus, it’s probably a question he, too, anticipated.
As U.S. Soccer president, one Crew supporter said Sunday, Wynalda will not uni- laterally be able to declare Crew SC “saved” from relo- cation to Austin, Texas, after the 2018 season. His words will, however, carry weight with Crew investor-operator Anthony Precourt and Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber.
How, then, would an elected Wynalda approach those two with respect to Crew SC?
“It might be my first meet- ing,” he said.
He then weaved his point on the Crew into one of his larger platforms of placing the United States soccer land- scape in compliance with FIFA bylaws, which would include the implementation of a promotion and relega- tion system between leagues and a shift to the FIFA calendar.
“The message is very clear. (Relocation) should not and cannot happen, simply because this is a staple of what soccer should be in our country and you don’t get to kill soccer just because you have a business plan. You don’t. That’s going to be my message to (Precourt),” he said. “There’s an understand- ing that when we ask our league to comply with FIFA bylaws, everything changes for everybody, not just you. So that’s why I still, deep down in the bottom of my heart, believe that this club, is actually savable. Clubs don’t die.”
The line drew applause. The c rowd also cheered when Wynal da draped a “Save the Crew” scarf handed to him by an audi- ence member over his shoulders and when he used the Crew to drive home another point about promotion and relegation.
“If we’re gonna do this sport right, we are going to have to be held accountable for performance and it has to be based on merit. (Crew SC) were, what, the thirdbest team in the league last year? Second (in 2015), and you’ve been relegated,” Wynalda said. “You’ve been told that you’re not good enough when your team has a great coach (Gregg Berhalter), a pretty (dang) good team... the point is on the merit of what this franchise was prov- ing on the field, that was cer- tainly the hardest part about this, then why hasn’t this happened to D.C. United? If anybody deserves to be relegated right now, it’s them.”
Wynalda said what he needed in those moments to win over a crowd dotted with black and gold Sunday, but the reality of the position forwhich he is running is it’s multifaceted. Soccer in America faces many chal- lenges without clean fixes or clear answers.
Wynalda touched on a few in his more than two hours on stage with soccer writer Jon Townsend.
Governance
Wynalda described as unhealthy the relationship between Soccer United Marketing, Major League Soccer and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
“The reason why we’re here is the power should be with the people,” he said. “The federation should understand its role and the meaning of the word serve.”
Young talent
The former national team player lamented what he described as an “exodus” of young, talented players to European leagues.
“The players showing some talent at the age of 17 years old are being recruited by somebody else and they’re being told, ‘Come with us.’ You know why? Because there is no light at the end of the tunnel for our young players,” he said.
Calendar
Wynalda said he would advocate for a shift of MLS to a FIFA (fall to spring) schedule.
“As president, there’s certain things you can’t mandate, but you can ask for help from FIFA,” Wynalda said. “Who did our league just help qualify (for the World Cup)? Because it wasn’t us. Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama? Not us. The guy that scored the goal (for Panama — Roman Torres) that knocked us out plays for Seattle. Think about that.
“Our guys in March, April, May are playing not to get hurt (in MLS) and then we’re asking them to flip the switch and play in the World Cup. The change in our schedule changes not just the mentality but the competitive nature of the group. Fixing our schedule fixes a lot of these problems.”