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ONEONTA, NY (October 30, 2009) – Two FIFA Women’s World Cup champions, two men from the 1990 FIFA World Cup squad, five North American Soccer League alumni, and a 7-time winner of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the 1920s and 1930s are featured on the Election 2010 Veteran Player Ballot the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum announced today. The eleven finalists are:
- Desmond Armstrong – 81 caps with the U.S. National Team, including the 1990 FIFA World Cup
- George Best – A Northern Ireland international, who played for the San Jose Earthquakes, Los Angeles Aztecs, and Ft. Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League (NASL)
- Teofilo ‘Nene’ Cubillas – A Peruvian international, who played 5 years for the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers in the NASL
- Linda Hamilton – 71 caps for the U.S. National Team, World Champion in 1991
- Lori Henry – 39 caps for the U.S. National Team, including the team’s first ever match, 1991 World Champion
- Bill McPherson – 7-time Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champion, 5-time American Soccer League champion, 370 matches played, most in ASL history
- Shep Messing – Seven NASL seasons, 1977 NASL Champion with the New York Cosmos
- Bruce Murray – 86 caps and 21 goals for the U.S., leader in both categories on retirement in 1993
- Glenn Myernick – Eight NASL seasons, 10 caps between 1977 and 1979, U.S. National Team captain
- Kyle Rote, Jr. – Six NASL seasons, 1973 scoring leader and Rookie of the Year, Five caps for the U.S., 1973 – 197
More detailed information about each veteran player candidate is available on the Hall of Fame’s website here.
“These players were among the finest of their respective eras,” Hall of Fame Historian Emeritus Colin Jose said. Hall of Fame Historian Roger Allaway added, "I'm pleased to see that the finalists fall across a broad spectrum of American soccer history, from the 1920s to the 1990s. They make a fine group of candidates."
Veteran player candidates are selected for the Final Ballot by the votes of the Veteran Player Screening Committee, composed of 16 Hall of Famers. Ballots identify ten individuals for the Final Ballot from the list of 338 eligible players. Thirty-five candidates received votes in the Screening Committee process. In a policy change from Election 2009, the Hall of Fame Board of Directors mandated that the Builder and Veteran Player Final Ballots list ten candidates. For further information on the election process, visit the Hall of Fame's website here.
The final ballot will be distributed later in the month to all Hall of Famers. To be elected to the Hall of Fame, the leading candidate must appear on at least 50% of ballots cast. Announcement of results is planned for early next year.
Kyle Rote, Jr. 25 votes 44.64%
Glenn Myernick 23 votes 41.07%
George Best 21 votes 37.50%
Teofilo ‘Nene’ Cubillas 20 votes 36.71%
Shep Messing 19 votes 33.93%
Desmond Armstrong 18 votes 32.14%
Bruce Murray 17 votes 30.36%
Linda Hamilton 16 votes 28.57%
Lori Henry 5 votes 8.93%
Bill McPherson 3 votes 5.36%
About the Hall of Fame
The Mission of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum is to Celebrate the History, Honor the Heroes,
Inspire the Youth and Preserve the Legacy of Soccer in the United States.
The Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution.
Located in Oneonta, NY, the National Soccer Hall of Fame opened a new 30,000 sq.ft., state-of-the-art multimedia museum in 1999. The Hall of Fame tells the story of soccer in America through artifacts, photographs, video and written narratives. The main VideoWall portrays some of the greatest moments and the greatest goals in soccer history as well as live soccer action from the World Cup, MLS, WPS, and U.S. Soccer matches. The Hall features an extensive interactive, youth oriented Kicks Zone, including a kid-sized indoor field, where visitors have fun kicking, heading the ball along with playing soccer video games. Unique and rare artifacts on exhibit range from the Dewar Challenge Cup, the oldest team trophy in U.S. sport, to the Women’s World Cup won by the USA in 1999, the uniforms of Pele and Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly’s golden shoes, and NASL championship rings. In addition to the interactive Museum, the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s 61-acre complex boasts the Kicks Hall of Fame Museum Store, a research library, four world-class soccer fields and office/meeting facilities. Visit the Hall of Fame at www.soccerhall.org
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