Cindy Parlow Cone: ‘The decision to run for president will come in time,.” (Andy Mead/YCJPhoto)
By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
If Cindy Parlow Cone is going to run for the U.S. Soccer presidency next February, this certainly isn’t the time to decide.
The new U.S. Soccer president said on Tuesday she has way too much on her plate these days to make a decision. That includes all the competition suspensions due to the Coronavirus pandemic and focusing on two new people running the show at the U.S. Soccer Federation.
“With so many things going on in the federation and the world right now, I am literally working day and night to ensure we have a smooth transition from Carlos [Cordeiro] to me as president and with the hiring of will [Wilson] as our CEO, you could imagine I didn’t [think I’d] find myself in this position,” Parlow Cone said on a conference call with the media.
Parlow Cone, who was the vice president, ascended to her new role on March 13 when Cordeiro resigned as president on March after he admitted he did not read the incendiary comments in papers filed by the federation in the U.S. women’s national team players’ lawsuit.
“But the decision to run for president will come in time,” she added. “So right now, I’m focused on boarding Will as quickly as we can and getting him ready to hit the ground right.”
Parlow Cone will serve as president until the 2021 U.S. Soccer Annual General Meeting next February in Atlanta. There will be an election for president for a one-year term to see out Cordeiro’s original tenure. In 2022, the regular election for president will be held for the next four-year term.
At this year’s AGM in Nashville, Tenn., Parlow Cone defeated U.S. Adult Soccer Association president John Motta in the vice president election. That was for a four-year term.
“When Carlos resigned, just a mere 10-11 days ago, I understood immediately that I would have to step up and lead as president of U.S. Soccer,” Parlow Cone said. “Those of you who know me well know that is not a role I was seeking but sometimes we are asked to step forward to do unexpected things. I whole heartedly accept the responsibility to serve the federation and will work tirelessly to lead the board, our members, our players and our staff through these challenging times.”
