January 16, 2002

WSW congratulates Tony DiCicco on his move to the FIFA coaching elite- a personal tribute

On a Sunday afternoon just over ten years ago in Hong Kong, Anson Dorrance, Tony DiCicco and myself found ourselves with our first free hours together away from the excitement and tumult of our team winning the First FIFA World Championship in Guangzhou the day before. We had traveled with our U.S. National team down by train to Hong Kong that morning, and the players had been let loose in the giant modern shopping center building for three hours before we boarded the plane to Zurich, and then another from there to New York.

Near the top of the building we had found a small bar where we could relax and talk. News of the win was in a newspaper found there, and the reality of what had been accomplished became part of our conversation together including the use of the word referring to Dorrance as “Weltmeister” (World Champion) that I read in a German paper. Among the many items that we talked about was what we could do next, and we then talked about how great it would be to work for FIFA in some way. So ten years later Tony has made it, and richly deserves the appointment after his supportive presence and encouragement in the women’s game as well as his outstanding coaching record, not to mention his work helping launch WUSA.

We all know the personal sacrifices needed from him during the last ten years, and are so happy to see such success and recognition.

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