The National Soccer Hall of Fame at Toyota Stadium released the names of the candidates eligible for election in 2023 earlier today. Three former Houston Dynamo FC players were nominated for the first time. Those nominated players are defender DaMarcus Beasley, midfielder Ricardo Clark and forward Dwayne DeRosario.
During his playing career, Beasley finished with 126 US Men’s National Team Caps and one MLS Best XI selection during his eleven seasons in the league. Clark finished with 35 USMNT Caps and 15 seasons in MLS with one Best XI selection. Over his 14 year career in MLS, DeRosario finished with six Best XI selections.
Of the 156 people named, 44 are on the Player Eligibility List, 89 are on the Veteran Eligibility List and 21 are on the Builder Eligibility List.
The Hall of Fame’s Screening Committees will narrow the Player, Veteran and Builder ballots before they and other members of the Voting Committees vote on the Final Ballot, electing a maximum of six new Hall of Fame members. As many as three Players and two Veterans can be selected, along with one Builder.
The Player Screening Committee will be responsible for narrowing a 44-person list to a 20-person final ballot for the 2023 election.
The eligibility list also includes 14 finalists who return from the 2022 election: David Beckham, Lori Chalupny, Brian Ching, Maurice Edu, Thierry Henry, Lauren Cheney Holiday, Eddie Johnson, Shalrie Joseph, Robbie Keane, Pablo Mastroeni, Josh McKinney, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Ruiz and Cat Reddick Whitehill. Beckham, Ching, Mastroeni and Kevin Hartman are in their final year of eligibility on the Player ballot. If not elected, they would move to the Veteran ballot for the 2024 election.
Complete information about the election and eligibility procedures is available online at NationalSoccerHoF.com. The election process is administered by National Soccer Hall of Fame staff under election and eligibility guidelines established by the Hall of Fame Board of Directors.
Established in 1950, the National Soccer Hall of Fame is dedicated to the sport of soccer in America by celebrating its history, preserving its legacy, inspiring its youth and honoring its heroes for generations to come.N
