Hi, I'm Grant Wall, and welcome to the Planet Football Podcast.

S. I. I. Brian Strauss is on his first vacation in two years,

so we have two episodes of interviews this week. Today, as part of my series of interviews with the candidates for

U.S. soccer president, I'm joined by Carlos Cordero, the current vice president of

U.S. soccer. We talk about a variety of topics, including his efforts to show that he can be a candidate for change,

even though he has been on the US Soccer Board of Directors since 2007.

That encapsulates the challenge I've got is to convince our members that I do represent change and for that I would again remind you that I came in in 2007 as an independent director. It's very important to understand what that means.

You have to be an outsider to be an independent director. You can't be independent if you're

an insider. So to say I'm an insider is factually wrong.

All that and more coming up.

Joining me now is Carlos Cordero, who is running for U.S. Soccer President and an election that is this Saturday,

February 10th in Orlando. Cordero is the Vice President of U.S. Soccer and has been on the Federation's Board of Directors for 11 years.

He is a former executive with Goldman Sachs.

Carlos, thank you for joining me.

Hello Grant, good to be with you this afternoon on your podcast.

I know it's been challenging, to say the least, to get us together schedule-wise, but it's been an exhilarating

24-7 campaign, literally from day one four months ago and but I look I think it's important

we we got together and talked before the election Saturday so thank you very much for the opportunity.

Well, I appreciate you taking the time.

I'm under the understanding that this is your first podcast ever.

So it's a historic moment.

Thanks, Carlos. Yes Carlos I want to start just by asking a question

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