May 5 – Frisco, Texas, became the beating heart of the American soccer community this weekend as five titans of the game donned the prestigious red jackets at the National Soccer Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
The magnificent five represented every corner of the American soccer landscape: Mark Abbott, Major League Soccer’s first-ever employee who climbed from vice president to deputy commissioner during a remarkable 30-year journey; Chris Armas, the Chicago Fire legend now patrolling the Colorado Rapids touchline; Mary Harvey, the shot-stopper from the trailblazing 1991 World Cup champions who transitioned seamlessly into administration; Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake’s wall between the posts for 369 matches and two-time MLS Cup winner; and the incomparable Carli Lloyd, whose trophy cabinet boasts two Olympic golds, two World Cups, and two FIFA World Player of the Year awards.
“There was no greater honor than wearing the red, white and blue,” reflected Lloyd during her emotional speech. “Yes, it was extremely hard. There were countless sacrifices along the way, but every bit of it was worth it, because I loved the game, the lessons I learned, the relationships that I forged and the experiences I gained were more than I ever could imagine.”
Abbott, the architect behind MLS’s three-decade rise, offered perspective on his journey: “I had a cool job, and I got to do a lot of cool things, but the thing I always appreciated the most was being a part of a community. That community had a common objective of trying to make our league as accessible as it could be.”
Perhaps most poignant was Rimando’s reflection, the man whose 553 MLS appearances still stands as an untouched record: “I stand here today, not because of the games or the records, but because I never stopped believing through the setbacks, the noise and the rejection. If my story says anything, that would be this: You’re always more than what they say you are.”
The Hall of Fame exhibition, housed at Toyota Stadium where FC Dallas plays its home matches, continues to preserve these legends’ stories for future generations of American soccer fans.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1748512413labto1748512413ofdlr1748512413owedi1748512413sni@o1748512413fni1748512413