Staff Report
Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, a 1979 Oneonta State graduate, is among 10 finalists on the National Soccer Hall of Fame's Builder ballot for 2010 that the Oneonta shrine released Monday.
Bruce Arena and Tony DiCicco, former coaches of the United States men's and women's national teams, respectively, are also on the ballot. Arena coaches the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS and DiCicco coaches the Boston Breakers of the Women's Professional Soccer league.
Others are on the ballot are: Chuck Blazer, FIFA executive committee member and general secretary of CONCACAF; Bob Contiguglia, former president of U.S. Soccer and U.S. Youth Soccer; Bob Gansler, retired U.S. National Team and Kansas City Wizards coach; Francisco Marcos, president emeritus and senior director of international development of U.S. Soccer Leagues; Fritz Marth, former administrator of the U.S. Adult Soccer Association; Kevin Payne, president and CEO of D.C. United; and Sigi Schmid, coach of the Seattle Founders FC.
The Soccer Hall identifies a builder as one who has made significant contributions to the sport but not as a player.
A 16-team member Builder Screening Committee made up of Hall of Famers voted on 59 candidates on the preliminary ballot. Each voter selected two candidates, with the top pick earning 10 points and the second getting five. Thirty-four candidates received votes.
Spokesman Jack Huckel said the Hall does not release the results of the preliminary ballot.
The final ballot will be distributed later this month to all Hall of Famers and a select group of soccer administrators. To earn election, the leading candidate must appear on at least 50 percent of the ballots. Up to two builders could earn election if they meet the 50 percent standard.
The Hall said in a release the results will be announced early in 2010.
No builders were elected in 2009.
Arena came the closest. He earned 32 votes, appearing on 47.8 percent of the ballots. Gansler was next with 31 votes, followed by Marcos (26), DiCicco (24), Blazer (18), Contiguglia (17), Garber (16), Marth (12) and Payne (12).
Garber will be in Oneonta this weekend as part of Oneonta State's 2009 Athletic Hall of Fame Class. Garber was named as an honorary inductee. The Red Dragons' 11th Hall of Fame class will be inducted Saturday.
He graduated from O-State with degrees in business and journalism. He's been the commissioner of the MLS since 1999
Garber is also a member of the United States Soccer Federation Executive Committee, and serves on the Board of Directors of the United States Soccer Foundation and the National Soccer Hall of Fame Board of Trustees.
Arena steered the men's program to a U.S. record 71 victories from 1998-2006. The U.S. reached the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup under Arena, the nation's best showing in a World Cup since 1930.
DiCicco took over the U.S. national team in 1994 and had a record of 103-8-8. He guided the U.S. women to a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics and a World Cup title in 1999. He ranks first in wins and winning percentage (.899) in U.S. women's national team history.
It's not clear if the 2010 Soccer Hall Induction Ceremony will be held in Oneonta. The shrine closed to the public after Labor Day, aside from dates when matches are being played on its four fields.
Its staff, previously made up of eight full-timers, has been cut to three: Huckel, President and Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Ullman and financial manager Kristy Simonds.
Ullman said Sept. 3 that no decision has been made by the board directors on whether the Soccer Hall will remain in Oneonta.
