CHICAGO – Ballots have been finalized for the National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2011 and voting will begin immediately for the Player, Veteran Player and Builder categories. Voting will continue through March 11, and the election results will be announced in early Spring.
The all-time cap leader for the U.S. Men’s National Team, Cobi Jones, joins five others in their first year of eligibility for the Player ballot. Chris Armas, Jason Kreis, Carlos Llamosa, Eddie Pope and Danielle Slaton are also on the ballot for the first time. Of the 25 total players on the Player ballot, only Steve Trittschuh is in his final year of eligibility.
In order to be eligible for election as a Player, an individual must be retired as a player for between three and 10 calendar years and have either: 1) Played in at least 20 international games for the U.S., or 2) Played at least five seasons in an American first division professional league and be named to a post-season all-league or all-star team at least once.
The voting pool includes all Hall of Famers, select soccer administrators and designated media members. Each voter can list up to 10 candidates per ballot. Any player appearing on at least 66.7 percent of ballots will earn election, while any player who does not appear on at least five percent of ballots will be dropped from the Player ballot.
2011 National Soccer Hall of Fame Player Ballot:
Chris Armas
Mike Burns
Mauricio Cienfuegos
Raul Diaz Arce
Marco Etcheverry
Robin Fraser
Chris Henderson
Cobi Jones
Jason Kreis
Roy Lassiter
Carlos Llamosa
Shannon MacMillan
Joe-Max Moore
Victor Nogueira
Peter Nowak
John O’Brien
Cindy Parlow
Eddie Pope
Tiffany Roberts
Danielle Slaton
Earnie Stewart
Steve Trittschuh ^
Carlos Valderrama
Tisha Venturini-Hoch
Peter Vermes
* First year of eligibility
^ Final year of eligibility; moves to Veteran ballot in 2012
In addition to the Player ballot, voting is also underway in the Veteran Player and Builder categories. Ten players are up for selection on the Veteran ballot, which is voted on only by current Hall of Famers. Voters can name up to five candidates, and the top vote-getter will be elected as long as he or she appears on a minimum of 50 percent of the ballots. If no Veteran appears on 50 percent of the ballots then no one will be elected on the 2011 ballot. More than one candidate may be elected in the event of a tie.
Eligibility for the Veteran ballot is the same as the Player ballot except that a player must be retired for more than 10 years. Further, the U.S. National Team cap requirement is lowered from 20 to 10 if the 10 caps came prior to 1990.
2011 National Soccer Hall of Fame Veteran Ballot:
Desmond Armstrong
George Best
Julio Cantillo
Teofilo Cubillas
John Doyle
Linda Hamilton
Bill McPherson
Shep Messing
Bruce Murray
Glenn Myernick
The 2011 Builder ballot includes seven individuals selected by a screening committee and follows the same procedures for election as the Veteran ballot, although the voting pool is expanded to also include select soccer administrators.
Builders are nominated by making their mark in the soccer community in a non-playing capacity while sustaining a major and positive impact on U.S. Soccer on a national or professional level for 10 years. Referees must serve as a FIFA referee for at least seven years to be eligible.
2011 National Soccer Hall of Fame Builder Ballot:
Chuck Blazer
Bob Contiguglia
Tony DiCicco
Bob Gansler
Francisco Marcos
Fritz Marth
Sigi Schmid
Complete information about the election and eligibility procedures is on ussoccer.com.
The National Soccer Hall of Fame closed its Oneonta, N.Y., facility in 2010 and during this transitional period the election process is being administered by U.S. Soccer Federation staff under election and eligibility guidelines established by the Hall of Fame board of directors.
Established in 1950, the National Soccer Hall of Fame is dedicated to the sport of soccer in America by celebrating its history, preserving its legacy, inspiring its youth and honoring its heroes for generations to come.
