The U.S. Soccer Federation will hold its first contested presidential election in 20 years Saturday in Orlando, Fla. But given the tenor of the three-month campaign, picking a winner may do more to inflame than heal a federation still battered by missing the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
In the run-up to the vote, one candidate accused a rival campaign of urging him to drop out and support their candidate, while another contestant sued the very federation she is seeking to lead. And during last month's United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia, where seven of the eight people running for the presidency made presentations, a truck parked outside the convention center played a loud video that accused candidate Kathy Carter of being a puppet, attacked fellow candidate Carlos Cordeiro, who is the USSF vice president, and excoriated MLS commissioner Don Garber, who isn't even on the ballot.