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National Soccer Hall of Fame announces 24 finalists on 2010 Ballot

Earnie Stewart (ISIphotos.com) 

……………………..Photo by ISIphotos.com

The National Soccer Hall of Fame released its final ballot for the Class of 2010 and the 24 former soccer players chosen represent a vast array of teams and eras.

Former U.S. national team standouts Earnie Stewart, Peter Vermes and Thomas Dooley, Women's national team stars Cindy Parlow and Shannon McMillan, as well as foreign-born MLS pioneers Marco Etcheverry, Peter Nowak and Carlos Valderrama are just some of the candidates on the ballot. And yes, SBI Mafia favorite John O'Brien is also on the ballot.

Voters will be able to select up to 10 candidates for entry, with all candidates that appear on 66.7 percent of ballots being inducted.

Here is the full list of candidates:

Mike Burns, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Raul Diaz Arce, Thomas Dooley, John Doyle, Marco Etcheverry, Robin Fraser, Chris Henderson, Eduardo Hurtado, Dominic Kinnear, Roy Lassiter, Shannon MacMillan, Joe-Max Moore, Victor Nogueira, Peter Nowak, John O’Brien, Cindy Parlow, Preki Radosavljevic, Mike Sorber, Earnie Stewart, Steve Trittschuh,Carlos Valderrama, Tisha Venturini-Hoch, Peter Vermes.

I will put up a post with a poll for SBI readers to vote on who they think should make the 2010 Hall of Fame class, but for now, what do you think of this group? Who would make your ballot? If you could only select one person for your ballot, who would get your vote?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Dooley, Stewart and Moore. Accomplished players for US Natonal Team, abroad and in MLS (Stewart only briefly in MLS).

    Dooley changed the national team around when he joined the team adding a lot more dynamic two-way play from defense and midfield.

    Stewart was successful in Holland and on US National Team (3 World Cups).

    Moore was one of the best domestic players who also played in Germany and England.

    Lots of good non-US players in the list too, but these guys should be in. I’d take any of these three guys over the majority of the recent inductess any day.

    I like some of the recent inductees (last five years), but some not so much. I mean Mike Windishman is in the Hall of Fame from the 1990 World Cup team and the guy never played professionally (bad timing – no NASL or MLS in his prime – if he had one).

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  2. My one vote would be a tie between Ernie Stewart and Mario Etcheverry – can’t decide between the two. For the women, I think I’d have to go with Parlow over MacMillan. Both were super subs but Parlow developed into a key first teamer.

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  3. It was Burns and I can still see the #@(&ing look on his face after the ball went in.

    Dooley, on the other hand, was abused by Klinsman on the first goal. Of course, he wasn’t the first or last to be abused by Klinsman but I thought he misplayed the ball badly.

    …no, I’m not bitter…

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  4. Off topic but apparently Donovan did the Stanky Leg in honor of Charlie Davies after he scored yesterday,espn just didn’t show it

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  5. I believe that foreign players had to play in the US domestic league of their era for a few years.

    Should Juan Marichal not have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame since he is from the Dominican Republic? If you played for the US domestic league, I think you have to get a shot.

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  6. I don’t understand all the Preki hate. I grew up with him on the US national team and Kansas City Wiz. The US team certainly could use his left footed creativity right now. I understand that his first game for the US was when he was 33 and didn’t have an extremely long career, but he certainly was one of the better players for the US team while he was there. Not to mention his contributions to MLS with his two MVPs

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  7. John Obrien all the way. Then we he gives his acceptance speech, he can finally share his views on relegation & promotion. The adoring public has waited long enough!

    Hey – Why isn’t Osorio on there?

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  8. If Mike Burns gets voted into the hall of fame, I will quit watching any soccer related to the US. I used to weep when he played for the national team…

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  9. Um, what? I don’t know if Vermes deserves induction, but that’s definitely not all he’s done.

    He was one of the players that elevated Rutgers to a national power, was runner-up NCAA Player of the year, US Soccer Athlete of the Year in 1988, pretty sure he was the only American on the 1990 WC team playing in Europe, and the first born and bred American to play in the Eredivisie. And played 5 years in the Spanish 2nd division when only a handful of Americans were playing overseas.

    And nothing special in MLS?? He didn’t start in the league until he was 30, yet still captained two clubs, won a MLS Cup and made it to another final, and managed to win Defender of the Year in 2000.

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  10. No way to Joe-Max? He has 100 caps, is 4th all time leading scorer for USMNT with 24 goals, and has played in both Europe and South Africa. Plus 3 World Cups and was part of ’95 Copa America 4th place US team. If you’re gonna put John Doyle as a legit contender, Joe-Max has to be on that list too!

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  11. I’m lost why John O’Brien is in there when Thomas Dooley, Earnie Stewart, Dominic Kinnear and Peter Nowak aren’t. And Etchverry and Valderamma for their great MLS contributions. O’Brien shouldn’t even be in the consideration as he never fully developed past 1 WC. Some of the players above have influenced both the USMNT and MLS for over 20 years. O’Brien…well…was a one-hit wonder.

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  12. I think people really need to evaluate achievement for this type of thing or else everyone and there brother will get nominated.

    Peter vermes has done what exactly??

    starting on the US team should no longer warrant a hall of fame award. in MLs peter was nothing special, Preki was the man in MLS, marco too MVP winners

    Mike burns???

    John Doyle??

    Chris Henderson??

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  13. Do other National Hall of Fames induct foreigners? Seems pointless to call it “National” if you allow foreigners.

    But if we’re voting foreigner into the US Hall of Fame. Here are my votes:

    1. Pele (Cosmos)
    2. Beckenbauer (Cosmos)
    3. Cruyff (Aztecas)
    4. Georgie Best (Aztecas)

    Just my .02 cents.

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  14. Jeff Agoos was the new Mike Burns.

    Sasha Klesjan is the new Jeff Agoos.

    No, no, three times no, unless they are adorned with goat horns.

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  15. I have one of the authentics of that style. The red trim is a fine mesh material, while the main jersey is a rather snug stretch fabric. Smooth to the touch. Very light. It also had a sort of interior t-shirt-type thing knitted inside, almost like wearing two jerseys at once.

    One of the funniest moments of the 2002 Final was when one of the Brazilian players was struggling to put his jersey on. The camera cut to the referee, Pierluigi Collini, who was trying mightily to keep from cracking up.

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  16. Preki, classic. I was just reading that he’s leaving soccer for a career in cage fighting. He’ll probably have better luck there.

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  17. For the men:

    1. Earnie Stewart
    2. Thomas Dooley
    3. Peter Vermes
    4. Preki Radosavljevic (mainly based on his MLS play)
    5. Marco Etcheverry

    Close but no cigar: Joe-Max Moore, JOB, Mike Burns, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Raul Diaz Arce, Carlos Valderrama

    For the women:
    1. Cindy Parlow
    2. Shannon McMillan

    Not sure Tisha Venturini makes it here.

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  18. IMHO lot of these players don’t deserve consideration:

    NO WAY
    Mike Burns
    Mauricio Cienfuegos
    Robin Fraser
    Chris Henderson
    Dominic Kinnear
    Eduardo Hurtado
    Joe-Max Moore
    Peter Nowak
    Mike Sorber
    Steve Trittschuh
    Carlos Valderrama
    Preki Radosavljevic
    Victor Nogueira

    Legit Contenders:

    Earnie Stewart
    Raul Diaz Arce
    Thomas Dooley
    John Doyle
    Marco Etcheverry
    Peter Vermes

    If I could vote I think Earnie Stewart and Thomas Dooley bot get my vote.

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  19. Cienfuegos FTW!!!!!

    I was at the game where he scored an incredible bicycle kick, and ever since then he’s been one of my favorite footballers. I hope he gets in, he deserves it.

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  20. Oh and JOB scored the most memorable goal for me in US Nats history, since it was in the World Cup and such a shocker. That deserves some place, even if his career was a huge flameout due to injuries.

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  21. Lots of good names this time around. All of the following had pretty decent impacts on the American game in one form or fashion, be it being a big player in early MLS, or US national team. Mauricio Cienfuegos, Raul Diaz Arce, Thomas Dooley, Marco Etcheverry, Robin Fraser, Chris Henderson, Roy Lassiter, Shannon MacMillan, Joe-Max Moore, Peter Nowak, John O’Brien, Cindy Parlow, Preki Radosavljevic, Earnie Stewart, Carlos Valderrama, Peter Vermes. I think of the list Cienfugos, Dooley, Etcheverry, Valderrama Joe Max, and Earnie deserve it the most. MLS prob needs to get its own wing, so guys like Lassiter and Stern John are rewarded for their play in the early days.

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  22. John O’Brien – he once scaled Everest, Kilimanjaro and Mount McKinley in between World Cup matches, all while carrying an injury and the hopes and dreams of United States fans on his shoulders.

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  23. Eduardo Hurtado’s name should never appear in any news item even remotely related to any hall of fame. If he gets in, they might as well just let anyone join the soccer hall of flame.

    I also don’t think Chris Henderson should be a finalist, although he did have a respectful career.

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  24. I would absolutely cast a voye for Thomas Dooley.

    I think he should be voted in because:

    He started every game in both the ’94 and ’98 World Cups.

    He played every minute of every game in ’94

    He was the captain of the US World Cup squad.

    He received 81 Caps for his country.

    He was named the US Soccer male athlete of the year in 1993

    Thomas played professionally for 14 years in Germany

    He won the German cup with Kaiserslautern

    He won the UEFA CUP with Schalke against Inter Milan

    He played 3 seasons in the MLS

    He was on the MLS Best XI and was 2nd in Defender of the year voting in 1997

    He was on the MLS best XI in 1998

    He won the MLS Fair Play Award in 1998

    He continues to support US Soccer by establishing a Youth Academy in California

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  25. What exactly was Nike’s concept behind those 2002 jerseys? Not only does it look bad, but it’s made out of some sort of uncomfortable canvas material.

    Ives, how about a retrospective on our post 1994 World Cup shirt history before the 2010 designs are announced?

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  26. I’m surprised Juan Carlos Osorio wasn’t on the list by virtue of the hilarious comment he made this season about wanting to manager the USMNT. I still laugh about that.

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  27. I’d like to cast an Anti-Thomas Doley vote right now for letting the ball into the far post versus his birth country Germany in the ’98 World Cup. I mean how does that ball go in when your standing right next to the post?

    In the words of Walter from the Beg Lebowski, “—-ing Germans, nothing ever changes”

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  28. Joe Max-Moore isn’t already a hall of famer? I say him, but I’m too young to really know what he did past what I’ve seen on YouTube.

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