April 19, 2005
Oneonta, N.Y. -
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Former San Diego State and U.S. National Team standout Marcelo Balboa has been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame, as announced Tuesday afternoon. He will be inducted along with John Harkes and Tab Ramos in a ceremony Aug. 29, in Oneonta, N.Y. Balboa joins another former SDSU teammate Eric Wynalda in the hall.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
"The announcement was a joy and relief," Balboa said. "You always know how you play as a person, but to have fans and the media recognize me like this makes it a very happy day in the Balboa household."
Balboa was tied with Ramos as the top vote-getter this year, his first on the ballot, receiving 108 of 123 votes cast.
Balboa played at SDSU from 1988-89 under head coach Chuck Clegg, earning first team All-America status in 1988, and second team honors in 1989. During his time as an Aztec, he led SDSU to back-to-back NCAA appearances and a 29-8-7 combined record. He was inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame in 1996.
"San Diego State has been a big part of my life," Balboa said. "Being an Aztec gave me a chance and a place to make myself better."
"My wife and I feel an enormous amount of pride," Clegg said. "He was a coach's dream-a coach and a leader on the field. Marcelo is someone who belongs in the Hall of Fame."
Balboa was a member of four U.S. National Teams, becoming one of just a handful of players, along with Wynalda, who played in three soccer World Cups, and is Team USA's all-time leader in international appearances with 128 caps.
He also was one of the greats of Major League Soccer where he was a five-time all star for the Colorado Rapids, retiring as the Rapids' all-time leader in games played and started and minutes played. He was the team's third-highest scorer and was fourth in career assists. Balboa became the first defender in MLS history to score 20 career goals and record 20 career assists.
"My goal was to leave my mark on soccer," Balboa said. "With the media and colleagues voting me in, this is a chance to leave something behind for my son and grandchildren."
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
In order to be eligible for election to the Hall of Fame, a player must meet criterion #1 and either #2 or #3 of the following three criteria.
No. 1. He or she must have been retired as a player for at least three years, but for no more than 10 years (for the 2005 election, this means that he or she must have retired no later than 2002 and no earlier than 1995).
No. 2. He or she must have played at least 20 full international games for the United States. This 20-game requirement is reduced to 10 games if the games were prior to 1990.
No. 3. He or she must have played at least five seasons in an American first-division professional league, and won the league championship, won the U.S. Open Cup or been a league all-star at least once.
Players who meet either #2 or #3 but who retired more than 10 years ago are eligible for election via the Veterans Committee.
VOTERS:
The following individuals were eligible to vote in the 2005 Hall of Fame Election:
Media selected by the National Soccer Hall of Fame in conjunction with U.S. Soccer, Major League Soccer, and the Women's United Soccer Association,
Hall of Famers,
All current and past senior U.S. National Team Coaches,
MLS coaches with at least 4 years tenure as a head coach in the League,
The Secretary General of U.S. Soccer, the Commissioner of MLS and the MLS Board of Governors.