By Duncan Mackay

Sunil GulatiMarch 6 - Sunil Gulati, President of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), will battle with Justino Compean, head of the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), to replace Chuck Blazer on FIFA's ruling Executive Committee.


Gulati (pictured top), a 53-year-old Columbia University economics professor, is also standing for the position on the Executive Committee of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).

Gulati, a former Major League Soccer executive and former head of Kraft Soccer who became head of USSF in 2006, will face oppostion for that position from Canadian Soccer Association President Victor Montagliani.

Compean presents a really barrier to Gulati's ambitions at FIFA, having also served since 2006 as President of FMF in a country that still wields considerable influence in the region.

Blazer, the former CONCACAF secretary general, announced last month he would not be seeking a fifth term on FIFA's ruling Committee.

He became unpopular with FIFA for his part in exposing bribes paid to CONCACAF heads by Asian Football Confederation President Mohammed Bin Hammam and CONCACAF President Jack Warner during Bin Hammam's ill-fated candidacy for the FIFA Presidency in 2011.

The election is due take place at the CONCACAF Congress in Panama City on April 19.

Each of the region's 40 members will have a vote.

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