Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, Los Angeles Galaxy coach and general manager Bruce Arena, D.C. United president Kevin Payne and New England Revolution investor-operator Robert Kraft are among the 15 finalists for the builders ballot for the National Soccer Hall of Fame, it was announced Thursday.
Builder candidates were selected from a list of over 50 eligible candidates by vote of the builders' screening committee, a 16-member committee made up of selected Hall of Famers.
Also nominated is former Kansas City Wizards and U.S. national team coach Bob Gansler, Joe Machnik, the former U.S. national team goalkeeping coach at the 1990 World Cup and MLS official, as well as CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer, former U.S. Soccer president Bob Contiguglia, International Soccer League founder and former San Diego Toros president Bill Cox, former U.S. women's national team coach Tony DiCicco, Burton Haimes, chairman of the board for American Youth Soccer Organization, United Soccer Leagues founder and president Francisco Marcos, former executive director of U.S. Amateur/Adult Soccer Association Fritz Marth, former U.S. Soccer executive Thom Meredith and David Socha, former NASL and international referee.
"These builders have made great contributions to the sport of soccer," Hall of Fame president Steve Baumann said in a statement. "Each has contributed to the growth of the game at the national level and have earned consideration for the Hall of Fame."
Garber was appointed the second commissioner of Major League Soccer on Aug. 4, 1999, taking over for Doug Logan. During his tenure, six of the league's seven soccer-specific stadiums were built, the league expanded to 16 teams, including the tremendously successful move to Canada with the addition of Toronto FC and Garber helped broker the league's first TV rights deal.
Arena is widely regarded as the greatest U.S. soccer coach of all time. He won five national championships with the University of Virginia, two MLS Cups with D.C. United and guided the U.S. national team to back-to-back FIFA World Cups, including reaching the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup. He was also the head coach and sporting director of the New York Red Bulls and is now in charge of the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Payne, who was executive vice president and, ultimately, president of Soccer USA Partners, which owned all marketing, broadcast and event promotion rights to the U.S. national team leading up to the 1994 World Cup, created the first ownership group for D.C. United in 1994. He currently serves as president of the club. He is also a board member and chairman of the technical committee for the U.S. Soccer Federation and vice chairman of the U.S. Soccer Foundation.
Kraft is the founder, chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, an investor in the New England Revolution and owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium. Kraft's long-standing support of soccer in the United States dates back to his efforts in the early 1990s to secure Foxborough as one of the nine host venues for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Kraft's contributions to MLS also include a two-season tenure as investor-operator of the San Jose Earthquakes from 1999-2000.
Gansler helped guide the U.S. national team to a berth in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, its first appearance in 50 years. He went on to coach the Kansas City Wizards from 1999-2006, earning MLS Coach of the Year honors in 2000 when he helped lead the Wizards to the MLS Cup title. In 2004 Kansas City captured the U.S. Open Cup and he was inducted into the United Soccer Leagues Hall of Fame in 2002.
Machnik, a former All-American goalkeeper at Long Island University, was a goalkeeping coach under Gansler at the 1990 World Cup, coached the New York Arrows of Major Indoor Soccer League, officiated NCAA Finals and two MISL All-Star games and is currently the assistant to the deputy commissioner for on-field competition in Major League Soccer.
Former Colorado Rapids coach Glenn "Mooch" Myernick and New York Red Bulls broadcaster Shep Messing are among a group of 16 former players who were named to the veterans ballot for election to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
One person on the builders ballot will be elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame for 2009, the person who received the most votes, as long as they were named on at least 50 percent of the ballots. All Hall of Famers and a select group of soccer administrators will be eligible to vote, each permitted to vote for up to five builders.
Players were selected to the veterans ballot from more than 300 eligible players by vote of the 16-member veterans screening committee, which is made up of selected Hall of Famers.
Myernick earned 10 caps for the U.S. national team and played for three teams in eight years in the NASL and was a coach for more than 20 years, serving as an assistant at the University of Tampa and his alma mater Hartwick College before beginning a long career with the U.S. national team as a U-20 assistant. Myernick coached the Rapids for three years and was the U.S. senior national team assistant coach at the time of his untimely death from a heart attack on Oct. 9, 2006.
Before a 16-year broadcasting career, Messing was a goalkeeper for the U.S. Olympic team in 1972 and played for the New York Cosmos in a seven-year NASL career, winning a championship in 1977. He also played eight seasons indoors.
Also on the list are Desmond Armstrong, who had 81 caps for the U.S. national team and played in the 1988 Olympics and the 1990 World Cup; Barry Barto, who played six seasons in the NASL, winning the title in 1973; George Best, who played in four NASL all-star games in his six seasons in the league; Hubert Birkenmeier, who was a two-time champion and three-time all-star in his six seasons in the NASL; Teofilo Cubillas, a four-time all-star in five NASL seasons; Steve Davis, a two-time scoring champion, three-time all-star and 1975 MVP in eight NASL seasons; Linda Hamilton, who had 71 caps and appeared in a pair of Women's World Cups, winning the title in 1991; Lori Henry, who was also on the 1991 Women's World Cup championship; Bill McPherson, who has seven U.S. Open Cup championships and won the title five times in his 10 seasons in the ASL; Bruce Murray, who has 86 caps and appeared in the 1988 Olympics and 1990 World Cup; John O'Connell, who is a two-time MVP and 1954 ASL champion in 10 seasons; Andy Racz, who won three U.S. Open Cups, three ASL championships and was named the 1960 ASL MVP; Bob Rigby, who was a two-time all-star in 12 NASL seasons; and Kyle Rote Jr., who played in the 1978 NASL All-Star Game and played for seven seasons.
The veterans ballot will be submitted to all Hall of Famers for a vote. The veteran who receives the most votes, as long as the total represents at least 50 percent of the ballots cast, will be elected to the Hall of Fame.
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