Warner recommends USSF for Fair Play

UNITED STATES Soccer Federation (USSF) has been nominated by CONCACAF for the 2003 FIFA Fair Play Award, the winner of which will be announced on December 15 at the FIFA World Gala in Basel, Switzerland. In making the formal nomination, CONCACAF president and FIFA vice-president Jack Austin Warner stated: “The US Soccer Federation was able to successfully organise the FIFA Womens’ World Cup within the limited time of four months as against the six-years advance notice that is normally given to a host country.” The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2003 was originally planned for China but was switched to the USA when the outbreak of SARS in a number of countries including China caused major health concerns.

The event was the 10th FIFA World Championship final (sixth in the last ten years) to be played in the CONCACAF region, including three FIFA World Cups (Mexico 1970 and 1986; USA 1994); the FIFA Women’s World Cup (USA 1999, 2003); various youth finals in Canada (FIFA U-17 World Championship 1987, U-19 Women’s World Championship 2002), Mexico (FIFA World Youth Championship 1983), Trinidad and Tobago (FIFA U-17 World Championship 2001); and Futsal World Championship (Guatemala 2000). The last time the USSF won a year-end FIFA Fair Play Award was in 1998 when it was given to the USA men team. USA women forward Michelle Akers received a FIFA Order of Merit that same year.