As U.S. Soccer Federation president, you might think Sunil Gulati would have a neutral posture about the MLS Cup Final.
But Gulati will have a rooting interest when the New England Revolution take on Houston Dynamo at RFK Stadium on Sunday.
He is the president of Kraft Soccer, which operates the Revolution.
Gulati has been in this position three times prior -- 2001, 2005 and 2006 -- but the Revolution fell short on each occasion.
Perhaps the fourth time will be the charm with a victory lap around the stadium with the MLS Cup trophy.
So, Gulati is tempering his enthusiasm a bit. He isn't about to bask in the glory of reaching the final.
"Listen, we do that on Sunday with a win," he said Friday. "We've gotten here before. I don't think anybody on our team is looking back and saying, 'It was really good to be nominated. It was really good to be in the final.' Obviously, you can't win unless you're in the final. But there is an absolute determination to win this thing that has eluded us.
"The Revolution's season has ended on the last touch of the game or on a double overtime situation."
He then rattled off the how the Revolution has suffered in its final game.
• In 2001, New England lost on a golden goal -- a Danny Califf header in the 92nd minute -- in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final, the last game of the year as the Los Angeles Galaxy prevailed.
• In 2002, the Revolution dropped a 1-0 decision to the Galaxy in MLS Cup in Foxborough, Mass. as Carlos Ruiz connected in extra time.
• In 2003, New England exited the playoffs in a 1-0 loss in the Eastern Conference final on an extra time goal by Chicago Fire midfielder Chris Armas.
• In 2004, Clint Dempsey missed a penalty kick in a 4-3 shootout loss to D.C. United (after a 3-3 draw in regulation and extra time), which was the last touch of the conference final.
• In 2005, the Revs dropped a 1-0 decision in the MLS Cup championship on an extra time goal by the Los Angeles Galaxy.
• And in 2006, Dynamo outlasted the Revs 4-3 in a shootout in the final after playing to a 1-1 tie after 120 minutes. Goalkeeper Pat Onstad saved Jay Heaps' last attempt.
"There are four finals and two conference finals that have gone right down to it," Gulati said. "That's frustrating. So we need to win this game on Sunday and I think the players feel that and the coaches, too. Steve Nicol done a great job with the team. Jay Heaps, Stevie Ralston and Taylor (Twellman) are not here about silver medals on Sunday."
The Cup will culminate one busy month for Gulati, perhaps one of the busiest for a U.S. Soccer president since the 1994 World Cup.
Over a period of 28 days, Gulati essentially had fire a coach and hire two others before watching his Revolution vie for the title.
On Oct. 22, Gulati announced that the contract of U.S. women's national coach Greg Ryan would not be renewed.
On Oct. 25, he announced that former Colombian international defender Wilmer Cabrera would become the U.S. under-17 national coach, the first Hispanic national coach in U.S. history.
Earlier this week, on Tuesday, he named former Sweden international Pia Sundhage as U.S. women's coach, the first non-U.S. citizen to be chosen.
And of course, Sunday, there's the Cup final.
"It's obviously different, it's something we haven't done before," he said. "We'd be in a better position to evaluate it in a year in some sense. In some sense, it was important to hire the best people we could, especially in the case of the U-17s, I think there's a lot there. It's a long term project.
"On the women's side, it's a very short term project with Pia and hopefully she's be with us for a long time. But in both cases we could and the best person takes into account a lot of things. In the case of Wilmer, in particular, it brings in someone with a very good diverse background, somebody who is Latin, somebody who has played the game at a high level, which we haven't had at the U-17 (level) before."
If you want to be U.S. Soccer president, you have to wear several hats and put in long hours. Besides his Revolution responsibilities, Gulati also is a professor in economics at Columbia University.
Gulati has seen himself as just another soccer aficionado.
"A lot of people in the game have very active schedules," he said. "There are some days that are very hectic, Like this weekend, where we've got (U.S. Soccer) federation and MLS board meeting and a (U.S. Soccer) foundation board meeting and obviously the game and other events. And there are periods that are slower, where Columbia is in session, there might be some time off during the summer.
"It's a juggling of balls. A lot of people do that. I don't know if anybody who does it doesn't drop the ball. I don't know of anyone who does it who drops a ball or two now of then. Every now and then. You make sure you don't drop any important ball and you get on with it.
"The fortunate thing for me is that both the things I do I am absolutely passionate about. I love teaching. I love Columbia and obviously I have a lifetime obsession for the game of soccer."
On Sunday, Gulati's obsession will be the Revolution.
Someone mentioned to him that perhaps 2007 could be the year of the Revolution, which captured the Open Cup with a 3-2 victory Oct. 2 against FC Dallas.
"It would be great to finish the job," he said. "The team has played well when it's had to. We won the Open Cup. So we won a final, which is a good thing. I guess we're the second team to be in three consecutive finals, so hopefully, you're right This will be the year of the Revs.
"It will be fantastic to win the MLS Cup. It will be fantastic to win the double and it would really highlight and cap a very successful six-year period for a core nucleus of players."
Michael Lewis covers soccer for the New York Daily News and is editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He can be reached at SoccerWriter516@aol.com. Views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
