A trio of Houston Dynamo Legends moved a step closer to soccer immortality on Wednesday night, as DaMarcus Beasley, Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario were named to the final ballot for the National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2023. The announcement was made at halftime of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, a match which all three players won at various times in their careers.
The Voting Committees will vote in the coming weeks to determine who will be in the Class of 2023. A maximum of six individuals – three Players, two Veterans and one Builder – can be elected to the class of 2023. Beasley, Ching and De Rosario were among 20 players on the final Players ballot. They were joined by 10 candidates for the Veteran spots and four Builder nominees.
One of the most decorated players in American history, Beasley starred for the Dynamo from 2014-19, captaining the Club to its first-ever U.S. Open Cup championship in 2018. The Open Cup triumph was the 18th trophy he lifted for club and country in his storied career, which is the most by any American player in history. His 124 league appearances with the Dynamo were the most with any single club in his 20-year career. The only American man to play in four FIFA World Cups, Beasley earned 126 caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team, the seventh-most in history, scored 17 goals and led the U.S. to victory in five CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments, captaining the 2017 team. Internationally, Beasley competed in the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Germany and Mexico. He became the first American to compete in the UEFA Champions League semifinals in 2005 with PSV Eindhoven. Beasley won the Golden Boot at the 2005 Gold Cup, was a five-time All-Star and a 2003 MLS Best XI selection, and won the Silver Ball at the 1999 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
Ching is the all-time leading goalscorer in Dynamo history with 56 goals in 169 appearances and played an integral role in helping the Dynamo establish a connection with the Houston community when the team moved here in 2006. On the pitch, Ching was a vital part of the 2006 and 2007 MLS Cup-winning sides, earning Man of the Match honors in the 2006 Final, as well as the Dynamo teams that advanced to the MLS Cup Final in 2011 and 2012. Before moving to Houston, Ching helped the San Jose Earthquakes capture the 2003 MLS Cup and win the 2005 Supporters Shield, and earlier won the 2001 U.S. Open Cup with the LA Galaxy. Ching was a six-time MLS All-Star, a 2004 MLS Best XI selection, the 2004 Golden Boot winner, 2004 Comeback Player of the Year and the 2006 Goal of the Year winner. At the international level, he was the first player from Hawaii and the second player of Asian descent to play for the U.S. Men’s National Team, earning 45 caps and scoring 11 goals and representing the United States at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
One of the best attacking midfielders of his generation in CONCACAF, De Rosario starred for the Dynamo from 2006-08 after making the move from San Jose, helping lead the team to the 2006 and 2007 MLS Cup titles. He also won the league twice with San Jose along with the 2005 Supporters Shield, and later won the 2013 U.S. Open Cup with D.C. United and two Canadian Championships with Toronto FC. De Rosario earned Man of the Match honors in both the 2001 and 2007 MLS Cup Finals, making him the first player in league history to earn that honor twice. He was the 2011 MLS Most Valuable Player, a six-time member of the MLS Best XI (2005-07, 2009-11), a seven-time All-Star, the 2011 Golden Boot winner and a two-time Goal of the Year winner. At the international level, De Rosario made 81 appearances for Canada, scoring 22 goals, and helped lead his country to glory in the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Beasley and De Rosario are in their first year of eligibility, while Ching is in his final year of eligibility in the Player category. If he is not elected this year, he will move into the Veteran eligibility list next year.
