The RadioShack All-Time Best XI team was announced Friday during the 2005 MLS Cup Luncheon at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, site of MLS Cup 2005 which takes place on Sunday, November 13 and features the New England Revolution and the Los Angeles Galaxy (3:30 p.m. ET live on ABC Sports):
GOALKEEPER (1): Tony Meola (MET, KC)
DEFENDERS (3): Eddie Pope (DC, MET, RSL), Jeff Agoos (DC, SJ, MET), Marcelo Balboa (COL, MET)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Marco Etcheverry (DC), Landon Donovan (SJ, LA), Carlos Valderrama (TB, MIA, COL), Preki (KC, MIA), Peter Nowak (CHI)
FORWARDS (2): Jaime Moreno (DC, MET), Brian McBride (CLB)
Born in Pabiance, Poland, Nowak arrived on the American soccer scene on Dec. 16, 1998, when he was signed as the Fire's first player ever. A domineering presence in the center of the Chicago line-up from 1998 to 2002, the Polish midfield general was the driving force behind the Fire's MLS Cup championship in its inaugural season in 1998 and its two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winning sides in 1998 and 2000. Adept at both offense and defense, the tireless two-way midfielder scored 28 goals in 114 games and was named to the MLS Best XI (1998, 2000 & 2001) and the MLS All-Star team (1998-2000) three times. Nowak made the 2002 MLS season in Chicago the last in a storied, 23-year professional career, and the Fire would honor its former captain during the 2003 season by making him the inaugural member of the club's Hall of Fame, the "Ring of Fire." Nowak would make his return to the League in 2004 when he became head coach of D.C. United, who he led to an MLS Cup title in his first season at the helm.
In addition to Nowak's selection, four current or former Fire players finished in the running for a spot on the RadioShack All-Time Best XI. Current midfielder and captain Chris Armas finished ninth in the balloting at the midfield position, while former Fire and current PSV Eindhoven star DaMarcus Beasley finished one spot out of the top team in sixth place. At the defender position, former MLS Defender of the Year award winners Carlos Bocanegra and Lubos Kubik finished in fifth and sixth places, respectively.
The winners were selected by a combination of voting that included online voting on the League's official website www.MLSnet.com (50 percent), media votes (25 percent), and current MLS coaches and general managers (25 percent). The RadioShack All-Time Best XI team was chosen from a pool of 78 player comprised of players who were previous Best XI selections or were named to at least three All-Star Games since the 1996 Inaugural Season.
GOALKEEPERS
Fans C/GM Media Total
Tony Meola 9.57 9.21 8.15 26.92
Brad Friedel 9.98 6.58 3.09 19.65
Kevin Hartman 4.58 2.63 6.18 13.39
Tim Howard 8.30 2.63 1.97 12.89
DEFENDERS
Fans C/GM Media Total
Eddie Pope 25.92 17.11 17.70 60.72
Jeff Agoos 15.04 10.53 12.36 37.93
Marcelo Balboa 14.25 5.26 8.71 28.22
Ryan Nelsen 8.16 9.21 3.65 21.03
Carlos Bocanegra 12.33 3.95 4.49 20.78
Lubos Kubik 4.66 11.84 3.93 20.43
Alexi Lalas 12.16 2.63 4.21 19.00
Robin Fraser 5.27 5.26 6.74 17.28
MIDFIELDERS
Fans C/GM Media Total
Marco Etcheverry 23.80 19.74 19.94 63.48
Landon Donovan 26.30 17.11 17.70 61.10
Carlos Valderrama 20.68 18.42 14.04 53.15
Preki 16.70 15.79 15.73 48.22
Peter Nowak 11.54 18.42 7.87 37.83
DaMarcus Beasley 17.49 6.58 5.62 29.69
Mauricio Cienfuegos 9.77 3.95 10.11 23.83
Cobi Jones 14.66 1.32 7.02 23.00
Chris Armas 6.71 10.53 4.21 21.45
FORWARDS
Fans C/GM Media Total
Jaime Moreno 15.25 25.00 13.20 53.46
Brian McBride 16.80 5.26 7.58 29.65
Jason Kreis 10.37 6.58 10.96 27.91
Carlos Ruiz 7.87 3.95 7.02 18.84
Taylor Twellman 6.26 1.32 2.53 10.10
