Kyle Martino ’99 Runs For President Of US Soccer
The race for president of US Soccer just got tighter.
Kyle Martino’ 99 has announced his candidacy for the top spot. Three weeks ago the former Gatorade High School Player of the Year, MLS Rookie of the Year and current NBC Sports Premier League analyst, said he could not afford to run for the unpaid position. But a coalition of backers urged him to run. He made the announcement this morning.
Martino’s campaign has 3 prongs: “transparency, equity and progress.” He has spoken about youth players who are priced out of the game by financial barriers, and “the mistreatment of our female athletes.”
The New York Times calls him perhaps “the biggest threat” to 3-term president Sunil Gulati. Like Martino, Gulati is a Connecticut native.
Martino released letters of support from David Beckham and Thierry Henry. Beckham is a former Los Angeles Galaxy teammate of Martino’s.
Martino — who lives in Weston — has kept his close ties to Staples soccer. He was the driving force behind the recent “Etched in Stone” project honoring Wrecker players who died before their time. Last month, he spoke at the dedication of that memorial.
For the full Times story, click here.
Kyle Martino
