By AVI CREDITOR
This summer's induction ceremony for the National Soccer Hall of Fame doesn't have a home yet, but wherever it is, the ceremony should have a bit of a European feel to it.
The U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame opened its doors to two more members Thursday night, as current Toronto F.C. coach Preki and Thomas Dooley received the necessary votes to be enshrined in the Upstate New York soccer sanctuary as the Class of 2010.
The Yugoslavian-born Preki, Major League Soccer's only two-time MVP; and the German-born Dooley, captain of the U.S. World Cup squad in 1998, were the only two to break the 66.7 percent mark among the voters.
Both Preki and Dooley were the top two vote-getters among those who didn't reach the necessary total last year.
This year's group of almost-inductees include Earnie Stewart (58.12 percent), Shannon MacMillan (54.7) and Joe-Max Moore (52.14).
Preki provided one of the more memorable moments in U.S. soccer history with the goal he scored against then-No. 1 Brazil in the semifinals of the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, leading the U.S. to its only victory over the Selecao, a 1-0 result.
He won the MLS Cup with Kansas City (2000), started the league's first eight all-star games and finished his MLS playing career with 79 goals and 112 assists.
Dooley was U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year in 1993 and started every game for the national team in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.
After a successful career in Germany, Dooley came to MLS in 1997 and was named to two All-Star teams and earned two Best XI selections with the Columbus Crew.
Happy for Preki and Dooley? Think Stewart got snubbed? Remember where you were when Preki scored against Brazil?
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