Ten Finalists Named for National Soccer Hall of Fame 2010 Builder Ballot

ONEONTA, NY (October 19, 2009) – Four highly respected coaches and six nationally recognized administrators have been named to the Hall of Fame’s Election 2010 Builder Ballot, the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum announced today. The ten finalists are:

Bruce Arena, current coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy
Chuck Blazer, FIFA Executive Committee Member General Secretary of CONCACAF
Dr. Bob Contiguglia, past president of U.S. Soccer and U.S. Youth Soccer
Tony DiCicco, current coach of the Boston Breakers
Bob Gansler, retired U.S. National Team and Kansas City Wizards coach
Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer
Francisco Marcos, president emeritus, Senior Director of International Development of the United Soccer Leagues
Fritz Marth, past administrator of U.S. Adult Soccer Association
Kevin Payne, president and chief executive officer of D.C. United
Sigi Schmid, current coach of the Seattle Sounders FC
More detailed information about each builder candidate is available on the Hall of Fame’s website at this address.

“What a truly outstanding selection of individuals,” Hall of Fame President Jonathan Ullman said. “They represent some of the greatest achievements in soccer over the past two decades, from successes on the field in World Cups to the growth of the game at the youth, adult, and professional level. The voters will have a difficult decision in selecting the five candidates to place on their respective ballots.”

Builder candidates are selected for the Final Ballot by the votes of the Builder Screening Committee, composed of 16 Hall of Famers. The committee selected candidates from the 59 eligible builders listed in the Preliminary Ballot. Thirty-four candidates received votes in the Screening Committee process. In a change from past elections, the current rules require ten candidates to appear on the Builder and Veteran Player Final Ballots.

The final ballot will be distributed later in the month to all Hall of Famers and a select group of soccer administrators. To be elected to the Hall of Fame, the leading candidate must appear on at least 50% of ballots cast. Elections rules permit the election of two builders should the top candidates tie and meet the 50% standard. Announcement of results is planned for early next year.

Election 2009 saw no Builder elected to the Hall of Fame. Several Election 2010 finalists were also on that ballot, with former U.S. National Team and current Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena receiving the most votes.

Bruce Arena                                          32 votes                        47.80%
Bob Gansler                                          31 votes                        46.30%
Francisco Marcos                                  26 votes                        38.80%
Tony DiCicco                                        24 votes                        35.80%
Chuck Blazer                                        18 votes                        26.90%
Bob Contiguglia                                     17 votes                        25.40%
Don Garber                                           16 votes                        23.90%
Fritz Marth                                            12 votes                        17.90%
Kevin Payne                                          12 votes                        17.90%

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