Werner Fricker (center) toasting the U.S. winning the rights to host the 1994 World Cup in Zurich, Switzerland on July 4, 1988. (Michael Lewis/FrontRowSoccer.com Photo)

CHICAGO – Nominations are being accepted for the 2018 U.S. Soccer Werner Fricker Builder Award.

The award honors the late U.S. Soccer president Werner Fricker.

The Werner Fricker Builder Award was created in 2002 and is the top honor that can be given to an individual or individuals by U.S. Soccer.

* To be eligible, an individual must meet the following criteria:

* Nominees can be an individual or group of individuals who is/are living or deceased.

* Nominees must have dedicated a minimum of 20 years of service to the sport.

* For athletes, playing career can count towards 20 years of service but nominee must have gone on to contribute to the sport in another capacity.

* Nominee’s service must stand out and distinguish nominee from others serving in the same capacity.

* Nominee must have created or fostered programs or innovations that will outlast his/her/their own active involvement in the sport.

* Nominee’s work has had a demonstrable impact on advancing the sport of soccer at the national level.

Nominations for the annual Werner Fricker Builder Award can be submitted by completing the nomination form and emailing it to [email protected] or mailing it to:

U.S. Soccer Federation
C/O the Werner Fricker Builder Award Committee
1801 S. Prairie Ave., Chicago IL 60616

All applications must be submitted by Nov. 17, 2017.

The U.S. Soccer president appoints a selection committee to review the nominations and select a winner. The selection committee appointees are comprised of various representatives of the federation and past award winners.

The nomination process takes place annually and is open to all. A maximum of one award will be given each year; however, the committee is not required to give the award annually.

Fricker was U.S. Soccer president from 1984 to 1990 and is widely credited for his role in bringing the 1994 World Cup to the United States.

Born in Yugoslavia and raised in Austria, he lived his adult life in Pennsylvania, where he was a star midfielder for the United German Hungarians of Philadelphia soccer club from 1954 to 1969 and was a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic Team. Fricker was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1992. He died in 2001 at the age of 65 and was honored posthumously with the inaugural award in 2002, with his son, Werner Jr., accepting the award on his behalf.

Previous Fricker Award winners

2002 Werner Fricker, Sr.
2003 Sunil Gulati
2005 Gerhard Mengel
2006 Sal Rapaglia
2007 Francisco Marcos
2008 Bob Gansler
2009 Alan Rothenberg
2010 Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia
2011 Kevin Payne
2012 Hank Steinbrecher
2014 Richard Groff
2015 Bruce Arena
2016 Anson Dorrance
2017 Mary Harvey

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.