Oneonta dreaming on such a winter’s day

So, when did the National Soccer Hall of Fame become more exclusive than Augusta National?

U.S. fans have surely been asking similar questions since Tuesday’s announcement of the class of 2008, which includes just two men: UNC women’s coach Anson Dorrance (voted in as a builder) and longtime national teamer Hugo Perez (voted in by the veteran players). None of the 35 players on the ballot received the necessary 75 percent in the regular voting (done by a mixture of Hall of Famers, coaches, media and executives).

Clearly, it must have been a down year for nominees, right?

But it wasn’t. Voters snubbed some of the most influential, most memorable stars of Major League Soccer’s early years – not to mention some of the men who played vital roles in the U.S. national team’s rise from hapless minnow to regional superpower.

As a Hall of Fame voter, I have a hard time figuring out who should make the cut. Is it enough to simply be a fixture on the national team for several years? Do you need to make a certain number of Best XIs? How does experience with an overseas club factor into the equation? Those questions, along with the fact that MLS is still so young, complicate matters. But with all that said, it’s nearly impossible to understand how the following players (along with women’s great Joy Fawcett) didn’t get the nod:

Marco Antonio Etcheverry was the cornerstone of MLS’ first superpower, a sublime talent who gave the league a touch of class and legitimacy in an era of garish uniforms, gimmicky shootouts and shakier skill levels. He led United to three titles and four MLS Cup finals, earning MVP honors in one and getting robbed of them in another (Ben Olsen in ’99? Seriously?), and won the league MVP award in 1998.

Preki ranks ninth in goals and third in assists in MLS history, won two MVP awards (including the 2003 accolade at the age of 40) and claimed a championship with the Wizards. He’s the only American who can say, “I scored the goal that beat Brazil.”

Carlos Valderrama held the career assists mark until Steve Ralston surpassed him last year (El Pibe played five fewer seasons in the league, mind you), and even more than Etcheverry, provided MLS with a dash of credibility in the early days. In terms of pure playmakers, the league still hasn’t seen his equal.

Then we have the near-locks. You could make a case against them, but they still belong in:

Joe-Max Moore scored more goals for the United States (24 in 100 caps) than all but three men, and went to three World Cups. His spot kick against Jamaica clinched a spot at Korea/Japan 2002. And his prolific form in 1999 (15 goals in 29 matches) for the Revolution earned him a spot at Everton, where he initially enjoyed great success – and where he helped lay the foundation for the wave of U.S. field players who have followed him to the Premiership.

Jeff Agoos played 134 times for the Americans, surpassed only by Cobi Jones, and participated in two World Cups. He was a pillar in the backline for three MLS Cup championship teams in D.C., and two more in San Jose. He also was named to three MLS Best XI squads and won the 2001 Defender of the Year award.

What am I missing here? You’ve got three of the most brilliant attackers in MLS history, one of the national team’s greatest goal scorers, and a man picked as one of the top defenders of MLS’ first 10 seasons. Yet only Preki came close to 75 percent (the results are here: http://www.soccerhall.org/Induction/2008/Results/player_results.html). Valderrama only received five more votes than Shannon MacMillan.

Apparently, some voters must have an aversion to selecting established, foreign stars who played in MLS. But the eligibility requirements are quite clear (they’re attached below). Valderrama and Etcheverry qualified for the ballot, they enriched MLS with their performances, and they deserve to be feted with a Yuengling and a slice of cold cheese pizza in Oneonta.

As do Preki, Moore and Agoos. Their careers weren’t perfect. But they were surely among the nation’s best in their time, and that’s whom this Hall of Fame should honor.

And as a footnote, one more gripe:

Sketchy motivational tactics aside, Dorrance has enjoyed an extraordinary run at the University of North Carolina (not to mention his pioneering role with the U.S. women's national team). He's a sure-fire Hall of Famer ... when he retires. The man’s not 60 yet, and he could still pass as Eric Wynalda’s slightly older brother. The Basketball Hall of Fame loves inducting active coaches more than retired players, and it makes the Springfield shrine a farce. Like Geno Auriemma, Jim Boeheim or Mike Krzyzewski on the hoops side, Dorrance doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame until he’s done coaching.

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The eligibility requirements are as follows:
1. Retired as a player for at least three years but no more than 10 years.
2. Played at least 20 full international games for the United States. This requirement is reduced to 10 games if the games were prior to 1990.
3. Played at least 5 seasons in an American first-division professional league, and won either the league championship or the U.S. Open Cup, or was selected as a league all-star at least once.