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Warner wants U.S. to bid for 2022 World Cup
- The United States should abandon plans to host the 2018 World Cup in favor of a 2022 bid, FIFA vice president Jack Warner urged Tuesday.
Warner wants to back England to host football's showpiece tournament, but says it would be "political suicide" not to support the United States in his role as president of CONCACAF.
"I have to convince them not to bid," Warner said in an interview to be aired Tuesday night by the British Broadcasting Corp. "It is easier for me to convince America to wait until 2022 ... I have said to England that until America gets knocked out, that's where my vote will have to go."
FIFA president Sepp Blatter wants both the 2018 and 2022 venues to be selected in 2011.
U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati, traveling with the U.S. team for its friendly on Wednesday against Spain, responded to the remarks by repeating that the USSF is still considering its options.
"As we have said consistently over the last few weeks, we are still in the process of reviewing a possible bid for the World Cup," Gulati said through the federation's Chicago headquarters.
"Neither the comments made by FIFA regarding the possibility of a double tender for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups or recent comments attributed to any FIFA members or potential host candidates have caused us to diverge from this plan."
England on Sunday played at Trinidad and Tobago - Warner's home country - in a friendly designed to bolster its campaign to host the World Cup for the first time since the 1966 tournament, which it won.
Warner wants the United States, which hosted the 1994 edition, to reach a compromise - England in 2018 and the United States in 2022.
That would suit David Beckham, the L.A. Galaxy and England midfielder, who could then serve as an ambassador for both. "My message to the USA - and they don't have to listen - is to try to make a deal for 2022 and I'm quite sure that would have universal support," Warner said. "The kind of discussion I would have between England and the U.S. is, 'Will you support me in 2022?"'
- The United States should abandon plans to host the 2018 World Cup in favor of a 2022 bid, FIFA vice president Jack Warner urged Tuesday.
Warner wants to back England to host football's showpiece tournament, but says it would be "political suicide" not to support the United States in his role as president of CONCACAF.
"I have to convince them not to bid," Warner said in an interview to be aired Tuesday night by the British Broadcasting Corp. "It is easier for me to convince America to wait until 2022 ... I have said to England that until America gets knocked out, that's where my vote will have to go."
FIFA president Sepp Blatter wants both the 2018 and 2022 venues to be selected in 2011.
U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati, traveling with the U.S. team for its friendly on Wednesday against Spain, responded to the remarks by repeating that the USSF is still considering its options.
"As we have said consistently over the last few weeks, we are still in the process of reviewing a possible bid for the World Cup," Gulati said through the federation's Chicago headquarters.
"Neither the comments made by FIFA regarding the possibility of a double tender for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups or recent comments attributed to any FIFA members or potential host candidates have caused us to diverge from this plan."
England on Sunday played at Trinidad and Tobago - Warner's home country - in a friendly designed to bolster its campaign to host the World Cup for the first time since the 1966 tournament, which it won.
Warner wants the United States, which hosted the 1994 edition, to reach a compromise - England in 2018 and the United States in 2022.
That would suit David Beckham, the L.A. Galaxy and England midfielder, who could then serve as an ambassador for both. "My message to the USA - and they don't have to listen - is to try to make a deal for 2022 and I'm quite sure that would have universal support," Warner said. "The kind of discussion I would have between England and the U.S. is, 'Will you support me in 2022?"'
- T.K.
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