By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
The U.S. Soccer Federation Wednesday filed a motion asking a New York State court to dismiss the North American Soccer League’s complaint against most of its board of directors.
On Feb. 6, the NASL alleged a breach of fiduciary duty by USSF board members. The league’s complaint claimked that defendants – motivated by conflicts of interest and economic considerations that infect the operation of the board – breached their fiduciary duties to the league.
The USSF motion has asked for a hearing June 4 at 9:30 a.m., “or as soon thereafter as counsel may be heard.”
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber, who also was named in the NASL suit, has filed a motion through his own attorneys.
The named defendants in the NASL suit were USSF president Sunil Gulati, Carlos Cordeiro, then USSF vice president, now the president, and CEO Daniel Flynn. Also named were athlete representatives Valerie Ackerman, Christopher Ahrens, Carlos Bocanegra, at-large representative John Collins, Pro Council representatives Garber and Stephen Malik, Youth Council representatives Jesse Harrell and Tim Turney, independent directors Liz Carnoy, Angela Hucles and Donna E. Shalala, Adult Council representative Richard Moeller.
U.S. Adult Soccer Association president John Motta, also a member of the board of directors, was not listed as a defendant.
The NASL will have until May 11 to respond, with the USSF and Garber having a June 1 deadline to give their replies.
