Lalas, Overbeck Elected To Hall Of Fame

ONEONTA, NY (May 6, 2006) – The National Soccer Hall of Fame announced today that U. S. National Team stars and American soccer pioneers Alexi Lalas and Carla Werden Overbeck have been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame. The national television announcement came at halftime of the ESPN2 broadcast of the MLS match between the New England Revolution and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Hall of Fame President Will Lunn emphasized, "Alexi and Carla were tremendous players and both played important roles in the sport's history as key members of U.S. teams that made an impact on the world stage. In addition to outstanding play in MLS, Alexi was one of a small group of elite players who raised the bar for the MNT in international competition. His header to help beat England in 1993 sent notice to the world that ‘the Americans were coming.' And Carla was key for the U.S. to become two-time World Champions and Olympic Gold medalists. She helped set the world standard for the women's game."

Lunn added, "On a personal note, I was with Carla and the women in Guanzhou, China in 1991 and with Alexi and the Olympic team in Zaragoza, Spain in 1992 and very much look forward to welcoming them both to Oneonta and the Hall of Fame this August."

The two players will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame at the Induction 2006 ceremonies on Monday, August 28 in Oneonta, NY. Further details on the Induction 2006 Weekend will be released later this month. In addition, the Hall of Fame will be announcing the results of the Veteran's and Builder's election process alter this month.

Lalas received 95 votes and Overbeck 85 votes on the 113 ballots cast by members of the soccer media, Hall of Famers, National Team and MLS coaches, and soccer administrators from across the country. They were named on 84.07% and 75.22% of the ballots, respectively. U. S. National Team star Thomas Dooley finished third in the voting, receiving 71 votes or 62.83%. For a third player to be elected to the Hall of Fame that player must be named on a minimum of 80% of the ballots.

Lalas, currently President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Galaxy, played in the 1994 World Cup in the central defense, paired with 2005 Hall of Fame inductee Marcelo Balboa. His distinctive red goatee, his occasionally controversial or flippant responses to interview questions, and his rock band made him the most recognized member of the squad, which included three others in the Class of 2005, Fernando Clavijo, John Harkes, and Tab Ramos and two members of the Class of 2004, Paul Caligiuri and Eric Wynalda. The 1994 team tied Switzerland in their opening game, defeated Columbia and confounded the experts by advancing to the round of 16 where the team met eventual champion Brazil, losing 1 – 0 in a match where Balboa and Lalas were heroic in the central defense. Lalas was also a member of the 1992 U. S. Olympic Team and the 1998 World Cup squad. He was one of the first signings for Major League Soccer in preparation for their inaugural season in 1996, beginning his MLS career with the New England Revolution. He went on to play for the MetroStars, Kansas City Wizards, and the Los Angeles Galaxy, enjoying his greatest success there. After retiring for a season in 2000, he returned to the Galaxy and won the Lamar Hunt U. S. Open Cup championship in 2001 and the MLS Cup Championship in 2002. Following retirement he went into management with the Anschutz Entertainment Group, first as President and General Manager of the San Jose Earthquakes before moving to the then MetroStars, now the New York Red Bulls, in the summer of 2005. He assumed the leadership role at the Galaxy in April, 2006. He graduated from Rutgers University where he was a three-time All-America and the winner of the 1991 MAC Hermann Award as the top player in collegiate soccer. He won the U. S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year Award in 1995.

Overbeck's illustrious career includes two FIFA World Championships, an Olympic Gold Medal, and four NCAA Division I Women's National Championships. Most famously, she was captain of the 1999 U. S. Women's National Team which defeated the China in the FIFA Women's World Cup Final at the Rose Bowl in front of 90,000+ people and millions on international television in the largest women's sporting event in history. It was Overbeck who took and scored the first goal for the American team that day in the penalty kick tiebreaker following the 0 – 0 result of 120 minutes of play. She joins 1999 teammate Michelle Akers, Class of 2004, in the Hall of Fame. She was a central defender on the 1991 U. S. Women's Team that won the first FIFA World Championship for Women's Football, as the tournament was called then. She joins four teammates from that team in the Hall of Fame, Akers, April Heinrichs, Class of 1998 and the first women player elected to the Hall of Fame, Carin Jennings Gabarra, Class of 2000, and Shannon Higgins Cirovski, Class of 2002. In 1996 Overbeck won an Olympic Gold Medal in the Atlanta Olympic Games, captaining the team to the Gold Medal victory over China. She was a founding player of the Women's United Soccer Association, leading the Carolina Courage to the 2002 WUSA Championship. As a collegian she attended the University of North Carolina and won four NCAA Division I Women's National Championships there.

The 2006 Hall of Fame Ballot featured 57 eligible players, many of whom starred for U. S. National Teams and were founding players for Major League Soccer or the Women's United Soccer Association. The top ten players and their respective vote totals and percentages were:

Complete results can be found on the National Soccer Hall of Fame web site, www.soccerhall.org

The National Soccer Hall of Fame located in Oneonta, N.Y., celebrates the history, honors the heroes and preserves the legacy of soccer in the United States. For more information, log on to soccerhall.org.