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Class of 2010 enters U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame

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Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com

By AVI CREDITOR

The lack of a building didn't mean that there was a lack of recognition for four individuals who helped bring U.S. Soccer to new heights.

Despite not having a physical location, the U.S. Soccer National Hall of Fame opened its proverbial doors to Bruce Arena, Kyle Rote Jr., Preki Radosavljevic and Thomas Dooley prior to Tuesday's United States-Brazil match at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

In addition to the four inductees, longtime soccer journalist Paul Gardner was awarded the Colin Jose Media Award.

"Every Hall of Fame class is special in its own way, and this one highlights a time of unique growth in our U.S. Soccer history," U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said.

Arena, whom Gulati called "unquestionably the most successful coach in the history of U.S. Soccer at every level," led the University of Virginia to five NCAA championships, won the first two MLS Cups with D.C. United and guided the U.S. men's national team to its best-ever FIFA World Cup finish, a quarterfinal berth in 2002.

"I'm greatly honored," Arena said. "I've had unbelievably good fortune to work with so many good people in the game. Over the past 30 years I've been driven and focused as a coach and a builder. I've dedicated myself to be the very best I could be."

Dooley and Preki represented an evolutionary change for U.S. Soccer, with both men being born outside of the country before securing U.S. citizenship and ultimately starring for the national team.

Dooley, born in Germany to an American father and German mother, began his national team career at age 32 and became an immediate fixture with the United States. He was the 1993 U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year and he amassed 81 caps in his eight years, which included a stint as captain in the 1998 World Cup in France.

Preki, born in Yugoslavia, starred on both the indoor and outdoor soccer circuits in the United States and retired from Major League Soccer in 2005 as the league's all-time points leader. He was the only player to feature in the league's first eight All-Star games and had five seasons of at least 10 goals and 10 assists.

His most iconic moment for the United States came in the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, when his trademark, left-footed shot found the back of the net in a semifinal against Brazil, lifting the national team to its only victory over the Selecao.   

Rote, one of the first American soccer superstars, was a scoring machine in the 1970s, becoming the only American-born player to win the North American Soccer League's scoring title. 

"Kyle is one of our American soccer pioneers, and the contribution of his generation should be celebrated," Gulati said.

The Hall of Fame is in search for a new location after leaving its Oneonta, N.Y., building earlier in the year. A U.S. Soccer official said that once FIFA's decision regarding the U.S. bid for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup has been made, the federation will turn more of its attention to finding a new site.

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Which moments involving the 2010 inductees are most memorable for you? Where do you think would be a good spot for the Hall of Fame?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I suggested Harrison, NJ., as a pemanent location for few reasons. Here are some of them:

    1- Harrison and next door Kearny are rich in soccer history and US stars’ production.

    2- Proximity to New York City: Easy accesablility, tourism and NY soccer tradition and the coming rivalry of NYRB vs. NY Cosmos.

    3- The long term commitment by the Red Bulls organization to the West Hudson area.

    To read more about my opinion, click on my name above.

    Reply
  2. US Soccer Hall of Fame to NYC or STL. I bet all soccer tourists will find a way to get to NYC or STL one time or another. Screw these middle of nowhere locations. If in NYC, you can have a hall of fame game at the Met Oval. Imagine…

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  3. “The only living monument dedicated to celebrating the history of a game largely ignored during its 140-plus year existence in the United States revealed in September it is no longer able to operate on a daily basis thanks to declining revenue and poor attendance, opting instead to welcome visitors only during special match days and tournaments played on its grounds.”

    http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=703232&cc=5901

    Reply
  4. If I’m not mistaken, Rote’s not in the photo. I believe (and it would be help if there was a caption) the photo, from left to right, features Gardner, Dooley, Preki and The Bruce.

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  5. I am glad I am not the only one who remembers Rote winning my favorite sunday afternoon show – The Superstars on ABC.

    What a great contest. How many of us set up an obstacle course in their back yard? I think Rote always won the tennis and golf points that they never showed during the broadcast.

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  6. I think Avi was refering to the modern day World Cups. That would be 1950 up until today. The first 3 world cups were not same as post ww2 cups. With the first cups there was no qualification- team got invites instead. Also, not as many teams.

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  7. “Rote, one of the first American soccer SUPERSTARS”

    Funny choice of words for those of us old enough to remember what he was most famous for…..

    CHAMPION IN ’74, ’76, and ’77

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  8. wouldn’t the BEST-EVER US World Cup finish be the 3rd place finish in 1930 and not the quarter-finals in 2002? Just saying.

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  9. Paul Gardner?

    Gheesh, soccer journalist standards are incredibly low if he’s getting jack and YES I’m familiar with how long he’s been involved in American Soccer as a journalist but it doesn’t mean squat. His quality as a writer is CRAP. It might be one of the few times he doesn’t Bitch about something.

    Reply

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