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Former U.S. Men’s National Team captain Claudio Reyna and three-time FIFA World Cup veteran goalkeeper Tony Meola have been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2012 on the Player ballot.
Joining the players in this year’s class are Desmond Armstrong on the Veteran ballot and Tony DiCicco on the Builder ballot.
Reyna, eligible on the Player ballot for the first time, was named on 96 percent of the ballots. Meola, also a first-time eligible Player inductee, was named to 90 percent of the ballots. Armstrong was cast on nearly 54 percent of the Veteran ballots and DiCicco was named on 61 percent of the Builder ballots.
The Class of 2012 induction ceremony will likely be scheduled for this summer and details will be announced at a later date.
Reyna, who currently serves as U.S. Soccer’s Youth Technical Director, played for the U.S. National Team for 13 straight years from 1994-2006 and was a member of four FIFA World Cup teams. He earned 112 caps while scoring eight goals and recording 19 career assists. Reyna also had a 13-year career in Europe, playing for Premier League sides Manchester City and Sunderland and the Scottish Premier League’s Glasgow Rangers.
“It’s an incredible honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” said Reyna. “Soccer has been my life from the moment I could walk. You don’t think or play for these type of recognitions but it is a tremendous honor and I want to thank my former teammates, former coaches and everybody else close to me, especially my family, who supported me – from those who drove me all over as a youth player to my wife and children who have been here my whole career. From a player’s standpoint, it kind of caps things off for me, so it’s definitely an honor and something that I’m proud of.”
Meola was a member of three U.S. World Cup squads, serving as the team’s No. 1 goalkeeper for the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups and then as a reserve in 2002. In 12 years, between 1988 and 2006, Meola earned 100 caps and 32 shutouts (second all-time behind Kasey Keller), while recording 37 victories. Meola was one of the top goalkeepers in Major League Soccer, highlighted by his 2000 campaign with the Kansas City Wizards that included an MLS Cup, MLS MVP, MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS Cup MVP accolades.
“It’s certainly the greatest honor you can have in your chosen profession, to be mentioned in the same breath as the great people that were before you and one day the great ones that will come after you,” Meola said. “I’m certainly humbled and I’m honored, and I’m thrilled to think that somebody actually thought I was worthy of it.”
Armstrong garnered 81 caps in 73 starts in his eight years with the National Team from 1987-1994. His 2,128 minutes in 1993 rank second all-time for one year behind only fellow 1993 defenseman Mike Lapper (2,205). He played in all three matches during the USA’s trip to the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
DiCicco set an unprecedented standard, posting a Women’s National Team-record 103 victories in 119 matches during his head coaching tenure from 1994-1999. DiCicco memorably led his squad to the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup championship against China on July 10 in front of a sellout crowd of 90,185 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
For all the eligibility and election criteria for the Player, Veteran and Builder ballots, please visit ussoccer.com.
2012 Player Ballot Results
Claudio Reyna 96.08 %
Tony Meola 90.20
Marco Etcheverry 58.82
Joe-Max Moore 57.84
Shannon MacMillan 49.02
Carlos Valderrama 43.14
Cindy Parlow 36.27
Peter Vermes 35.29
Chris Armas 34.31
Jason Kreis 30.39
* Only includes top 10 in votes received
2012 Veteran Ballot Results
Desmond Armstrong 53.66 %
Teofilo Cubillas 51.22
John Doyle 51.22
Glenn Myernick 48.78
Linda Hamilton 43.90
Shep Messing 39.02
Mike Sorber 39.02
George Best 31.71
Brian Quinn 26.83
Bill McPherson 14.63
Steve Trittschuh 14.63
2012 Builder Ballot Results
Tony DiCicco 61.22 %
Francisco Marcos 48.98
Chuck Blazer 44.90
Bob Bradley 40.82
Don Garber 40.82
Sigi Schmid 38.78
Fritz Marth 20.41
Dr. Robert Contiguglia 16.33
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