Brad Friedel and Tiffeny Milbrett easily won election to the National Soccer Hall of Fame, while Carlos Bocanegra and Kate Sobrero Markgraf came close and, inexplicably, Steve Cherundolo fell well short again.
In data obtained by the Insider, Friedel was included on 88.1 percent of the ballots returned and Milbrett made it onto 75.2. The threshold is 66.7.
Bocanegra, the former U.S. World Cup captain in his first year of eligibility, was on 64.5. Markgraf, a standout defender in the elite women’s program, was included on 60.2.
For the second consecutive year, Cherundolo failed to hit 50 percent. He was at 48.3 in 2017 and 47.3 this year.
The winners were announced Thursday. Besides the two entrants from the player category, former national team forward Cindy Parlow Cone received the most votes in the veteran segment (for those who are no longer eligible in the player category). Robert Contiguglia, a former U.S. Soccer Federation president, won in the builder category.
Induction ceremonies will take place Oct. 20 as part of the grand opening of the new hall and museum adjacent to Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Tex. MLS Commissioner Don Garber, a builder winner two years ago, will also be inducted at that time.
Friedel, the rookie head coach of the New England Revolution, was in his first year of eligibility after building one of the most impressive portfolios in U.S. soccer history. He was a goalkeeper for 17 years in England (primarily with Blackburn) and, by the time he announced his retirement at age 43, he had made 547 league appearances and 669 across all competitions.
His 82 caps are fourth among U.S. men’s goalkeepers, with 79 starts and 24 clean sheets in an international career that lasted 12 years. He was a backup on the 1994 and ’98 World Cup squads, then started in the 2002 tournament, stopping two penalty kicks in separate matches during regulation play as the Americans advanced to the quarterfinals.
During a 14-year national team career, Milbrett recorded 100 goals and 64 assists in 206 appearances. Seven goals came in Women’s World Cup matches and five in the Olympics.
Cherundolo, an outside back, spent his entire 15-year pro career with one club, Hannover, foregoing opportunity in England and MLS. Most of those years were in the Bundesliga. He became team captain and was dubbed “Mayor of Hannover.” He appeared in 370 league matches and 423 in all. For the national team, “Dolo” started in the 2006 and ’10 World Cups and finished with 87 caps over 13 years.
Another notable omission was Jaime Moreno, a Bolivian who posted 133 goals and 102 assists while starring on all four of D.C. United’s MLS championship teams.
The top 20 in the player category:
- Brad Friedel 88.1
- Tiffeny Milbrett 75.2
- Carlos Bocanegra 64.5
- Kate Sobrero Markgraf 60.2
- Steve Cherundolo 47.3
- Frankie Hejduk 38.7
- Jaime Moreno 36.5
- Steve Ralston 29.0
- David Beckham 25.8
- Clint Mathis 22.5
- Taylor Twellman 22.5
- Heather Mitts 19.4
- Eddie Lewis 18.2
- Tony Sanneh 18.2
- Gregg Berhalter 17.2
- Pablo Mastroeni 15.0
- Thierry Henry 13.9
- Ben Olsen13.9
- Aly Wagner 13.9
- Josh Wolff 12.9
The top five in the veteran category (first-place finisher only):
- Cindy Parlow Cone 59.5
- Tiffany Roberts 50.0
- Marco Etcheverry 47.6
- Tisha Venturini-Hoch 45.0
- Mike Burns 35.7
The top four in the builder category (first-place finisher only):
- Robert Contiguglia 53.0
- Francisco Marcos 51.0
- Esse Baharmast 38.7
- Kevin Payne 38.7
Hall of Fame voters include all past and present men’s and women’s senior national team coaches; all active MLS and NWSL head coaches with a minimum of four years of experience as a head coach at the highest pro level in the United States; MLS and NWSL management representatives; the MLS commissioner and NWSL executive director; USSF President Carlos Cordeiro; USSF chief executive Dan Flynn; designated media members; and all Hall of Famers.
Each voter can select up to 10 candidates in the player category.