via his company AEG -- of four Major League Soccer teams, will receive the nation's highest soccer honor when he is inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in August.
It was announced Monday that Anschutz will be inducted as a builder and will receive the National Soccer Medal of Honor, a medal that has only been given out three times before, as the recipient's contribution to soccer must be so significant as to have changed the course of the sport's history.
"Through unparalleled foresight and conviction, Phil Anschutz has created a permanent foundation for soccer in the United States -- a truly singular achievement which, despite his humility, will always bear his name," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "Two decades ago, people said this could never be done. Two decades from now, people will ask how it was done and the answer will be Phil Anschutz. He is a modern-day American pioneer and a great friend to all of us who love the game."
AEG is a founding investor-operator of MLS, and through the company, Anschutz has been integral to the league's success. At one point the investor-operator of six MLS teams, AEG has divested of two clubs while at the same time ramping up its efforts with its remaining teams.
In Los Angeles, AEG built The Home Depot Center, the second soccer-specific stadium built in the United States and the oft-proclaimed "cathedral" of U.S. soccer. After the completion of the stadium, the L.A. Galaxy quickly became the first profitable team in the league, in addition to setting the standard on the field.
AEG is currently building a stadium in Bridgeview, Ill., where the Chicago Fire will begin play in June, and plans for soccer-specific stadiums are in the works in New York, where AEG is partnering with Red Bull on a stadium project, and Washington, D.C.
"Phil's visionary commitment to the game of soccer is the reason that there is a Division One league in this country today," said Robert Kraft, the investor-operator of the New England Revolution. "The building of The Home Depot Center has set off a wave of soccer-specific stadiums that will change how the game is experienced in this country. I am honored to be his partner and can think of no more worthy recipient of the National Soccer Medal of Honor."
"Clearly Phil Anschutz's commitment to build the sport at the professional level has dramatically effected the direction soccer has taken over the past 10 years," said Hall of Fame President/CEO Will Lunn. "For those of us fans who remember the dark days of no American soccer on television, no World Cup broadcasts, no league and little chance for the USA on the world's stage I say -- Thank you Phil!"
Only three others have received the National Soccer Medal of Honor: former U.S. Soccer President Alan I. Rothenberg, for whom the MLS Cup trophy is named, soccer visionary and MLS investor-operator Lamar Hunt and the USA's first soccer world champions, the 1991 U.S. women's national team.
Anschutz will receive his award on Aug. 27. He will be inducted the following day, along with former MLS defender and current Los Angeles Galaxy President and General Manager Alexi Lalas, U.S. women's team player Carla Overbeck and former North American Soccer League and U.S. star Al Trost.
Jason Halpin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
