Cindy Parlow Cone: The First Female President Of U.S. Soccer

In the middle of the 2020 She Believes Cup, documents outlining U.S. Soccer’s strategy in their lawsuit against the USWNT were made public. The details revealed in those documents were eye-opening. As it turned out, a major part of the Federation’s strategy against the USWNT was arguing that it took more skill and strength to play for the USMNT than it did for the women’s team. Needless to say, this didn’t sit well with anyone.

It prompted the USWNT to turn their practice jerseys inside out in a huge protest and perhaps even more notably, forced U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro to step down. Enter: Cindy Parlow Cone. 

In the wake of the scandal, something kind of incredible happened. As VP of U.S. Soccer, Cindy Parlow Cone was made President of U.S. Soccer. She is the first woman to ever hold the position, and her experience speaks for itself. 

Cindy Parlow Cone (then known as just Parlow), first started playing for the USWNT in 1996. Throughout her eight years on the team, she amassed 158 caps and 75 goals, still eighth all-time for the team. Parlow was a crucial member of the unforgettable 1999 Women’s World Cup team, and also earned two Olympic gold medals throughout her career. 

While her playing record speaks for itself, Parlow was a leader off the field, too. USWNT legend Mia Hamm said of Parlow Cone, “She didn’t sugarcoat stuff, especially when you needed to hear it. And I appreciated that as a friend and a teammate. It was always from the perspective that she cared and wanted to make me better. That made us closer as friends and made me trust her even more, because she wasn’t going to tell me what I wanted to hear.”

In 2018, Parlow Cone was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Her playing career alone was enough to earn that honor, but the new U.S. Soccer President continued contributing to the women’s game and Federation long after she hung up her boots. She served as the first head coach of the Portland Thorns and led them to the inaugural Championship title. 

In the years since she retired, she has also served on the U.S. Soccer Referee Committee, Medical Advisory Committee, Appeals Committee, Athletes’ Council, and the Youth Task Force. In 2019, Parlow Cone was elected Vice President of U.S. Soccer, and now, after Cordeiro stepped down, has been made President. 

Just how big of an impact will she make as President? Former-USWNT star Julie Foudy told Sports Illustrated she believes Parlow Cone “knew there was an important next step for U.S. Soccer, and that a player should be part of that conversation.” 

Cindy Parlow Cone has a big task ahead of her, and while only time will tell if she’s able to repair the damage done by U.S. Soccer’s previous strategy, the fact that there is now a former-USWNT leading the way at the Federation is a good start. 

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