The National Soccer Hall of Fame will announce the Class of 2005 on Tuesday, April 19 at 4 p.m. ET live on ESPNEWS. Among the players eligible on the ballot for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame are retired Major League Soccer stars Marcelo Balboa, Mike Burns, Thomas Dooley, John Harkes, Peter Nowak, Tab Ramos, Carlos Valderrama, and Peter Vermes.
Of the 53 eligible players, 19 are first-time candidates including several players who starred for the U.S. National Team and were founding players for Major League Soccer such as Balboa, Burns, Harkes, Nowak, Ramos, Valderrama, and Vermes. In 2004, Eric Wynalda and Paul Caligiuri became the first former MLS players to be selected to the Hall of Fame. The 2005 ballot also includes several members of the U.S. Women's National Team who won the Women's World Cup in 1991 or 1999 (Wendy Gebauer, Linda Hamilton, Mary Harvey, and Sara Whalen).
The elected players will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY at the official induction ceremony on Monday, August 29.
