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Clint Dempsey, Hope Solo headline finalists for National Soccer Hall of Fame

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Clint Dempsey and Hope Solo headlined the players listed as finalists for election in the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame board released the names of the finalists for election to the Class of 2022, which included 20 on the Player ballot and 10 on the Veteran ballot, and four on the Builder ballot. The Selection Committees will meet over the next several weeks and then vote to select a maximum of six new members; as many as three Players and two Veterans can be selected, along with one Builder.

Dempsey earned 141 caps with the USMNT during his career, scoring in three different World Cups and finishing with 57 international goals. Dempsey began his professional career with the New England Revolution before moving to Europe, where he played for Fulham and Tottenham.

The 38-year-old, who finished his career with the Seattle Sounders, scored 154 goals in 475 career first-team appearances between stints in England and the United States.

Solo is among the leading candidates to be voted in after missing out in her first two years of eligibility. The controversial USWNT standout boasts one of the best resumes in the candidate field, but her off-field transgressions have left some voters unwilling to vote her in despite her track record of success as a player.

Also in the running are former USWNT standouts Shannon Boxx, Hope Solo, and Lauren Cheney Holiday, and retired MLS greats David Beckham, Robbie Keane, and Thierry Henry.

Chris Armas, Frankie Hejduk, and Tony Sanneh were among the 10 finalists on the Veteran ballot while Esse Baharmast, Brian Hall, Sandra Hunt, and Kari Seitz were all finalists on the Builder ballot.

The 2022 class will be announced at a later date and the ceremony will take place on May 21st at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

Here is a breakdown of the three categories of finalists:

Player Ballot Finalists

David Beckham
Shannon Boxx
Lori Chalupny
Brian Ching
Clint Dempsey
Maurice Edu
Thierry Henry
Lauren Cheney Holiday
Eddie Johnson
Shalrie Joseph
Robbie Keane
Pablo Mastroeni
Josh McKinney
Heather Mitts
Oguchi Onyewu
Carlos Ruiz
Hope Solo
Aly Wagner
Cat Reddick Whitehill
Josh Wolff

Veteran Ballot Finalists

Chris Armas
Chico Borja
Marco Etcheverry
Linda Hamilton
Mary Harvey
Frankie Hejduk
Clint Mathis
Tony Sanneh
Kate Sobrero Markgraf
Tisha Venturini-Hoch

Builder Ballot Finalists

Esse Baharmast
Brian Hall
Sandra Hunt
Kari Seitz

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