CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said Friday he will not resign and might even seek re-election despite the Americans’ failing to qualify for next year’s World Cup Final in Russia.

Just minutes after US coach Bruce Arena resigned in the wake of Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Trinidad and Tobago, which saw the US fail to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986, Gulati took the blame for the humiliating failure.

“It’s a shock to the system. We fully expected to qualify,” he said. “It’s a big disappointment… I certainly take responsibility for us not getting to Russia.”

Gulati, a 58-year-old India-born American, then outlined why he thinks he remains the correct person to guide the programme back from the abyss, including the US role in a combined bid with Mexico and Canada for the 2026 World Cup.

“I don’t plan to resign,” Gulati said. “We’ve got a lot of things on our agenda, including a World Cup bid that’s due in March.

“I don’t plan to do that — because of everything, where the sport is now; the role I played in it and where it could go if I choose to run again.”

Gulati became the US Soccer supremo on March 11, 2006, and finished a four-year term on the FIFA executive committee earlier this year.

He has overseen a US growth in interest, but his watch also included this year’s bitter flop and numerous calls from supporters for his quick resignation.

“I can understand the frustration, sure,” Gulati said.

“We’ll do everything we can to get the team and the programme back on track so we can be successful. We understand how much anger and hurt there is from Tuesday night.”