August 23, 2007
On Friday, October 19th,
USASA will honor 40 nominees for the year of 2007. The ceremony will take place during the
organization’s Mid-Year Meeting at the Sheraton Yankee Trader Hotel in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Inductees were chosen on the basis of having made a significant contribution toward the development and advancement of
adult amateur soccer at the national or regional level. The honorees were selected by a broad selection panel overseen
by the
USASA Hall of Fame Committee: Chairman Bruno Trapikas, Sal Rapaglia, Richard Williams, Charles Robinson
and Ric Olivas.
Soccer President Sunil Gulati, with nearly 30 years of soccer experience in the United States, is among those being inducted
into the US Adult Soccer Hall of Fame this year, for helping the sport rise to new heights across four decades of hands-on
involvement. Before his presidential role, Gulati served on the Board of Directors of FIFA Women’s World Cup 1999 and 2003
and is currently a member of the Board of the U.S. Soccer Foundation and the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He served
as U.S. Soccer’s Executive Vice President from 2000 to 2006 before stepping into his responsibility as President. The
ceremonies will likewise honor George E. Fishwick (posthumously), who served as President of US Soccer during the
mid-1960s.
The 2007 Hall of Fame class also includes the following distinguished group of individuals: Adolph Bachmeier, Alastair Bell,
Marypat Bell, Bob Black, John Bocwinski, Bill Bosgraaf, Timothy W. Busch, Ken Conselyea, Brian K. Darling, Ian William
(Bill) Davey, Mario De Paola, Antonio Doria, Tony Dubrowski,
Werner Fricker Jr., Rudy Getzinger, Richard Giebner, John P.
Gyekenyesi, Julie Ilacqua, Al Kleinaitis, Marge Madriago, Mike Maloney, Brian McBride, Robert L. (Bob) McGee, Jr.,
Peter Pinori, Carlos Rodriguez, Pat Smith, Anna Steffen, June Stroup, Jack Sullivan, Bruno Trapikas, Wallace Watson,
Gus Xikis, and Nikola Zlatar.
Brian McBride, who retired from the US National Men’s Team following the 2006 FIFA World Cup, was a standout performer
for
USASA’s National Teams prior to and during the early stages of his professional career.
In addition, Wilfred Cummings, Livio D’Arpino, and Frank Kracher will be inducted posthumously during the ceremony, as will
be Harry Saunders and Charlie Stillitano.
“With this year’s ceremonies, the initial establishment of the
USASA Hall of Fame will be complete,” said Hall of Fame
Chairman Bruno Trapikas, adding, “Its membership will fittingly reflect several hundreds of decades of tireless contributions
by a diverse group of individuals who have shared one common goal - the advancement of the game which we all love.
USASA
is also most grateful for the difficult work of the members of the selection panel.”
With the addition of the 2007 class, the US Adult Soccer Hall of Fame will now boast 81 members. Last year’s inductees
included Milton Aimi, Mario Alarcon, John Best, Graham Biles, Gianfranco Borroni, James Carson, Clive Charles, George
Donnelly, Paul Dueker, Gene Edwards, Mike Edwards, John Ellinger, Tom Fitzgerald, Jack Flamhaft, Stephen Flamhaft,
Werner Fricker , Bob Gansler, Mike Kabanica, Kurt Lamm, Fritz Marth, Gerhard Mengel, Sviatoslav “Stan” Mirza, John Motta,
Edward N. Nunez, Kevin Payne, Peter J. Peel, Foster Perry, Everett Polley, Peggy Polley, Salvatore Rapaglia, Gordon
Redshaw, J. Eugene Ringsdorf, Charles Robinson, Joseph L. Rodriguez, Julius Roth, Howard Rubenstein, Roger Schott,
Joseph Triner, Richard Williams, Michael Wuertz, and Joseph Zyzda.
Congratulations from USASA!
For a complete description on the USASA Hall of Fame inductees, please click here
