Carlos Bocanegra will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2021. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
FRISCO, Texas — The National Soccer Hall of Fame Wednesday announced that former U.S. men’s national team captain Carlos Bocanegra was the lone member of its 2020 class.
Bocanegra will be inducted along with the Hall of Fame’s 2021 class at a combined ceremony next year at Toyota Stadium here. This year’s ceremony, which was scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, was postponed due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tim Howard surprised his former USMNT teammate with the news of his election in a videoconference call while Bocanegra was at an Atlanta United video session at the team’s training facility in Marietta, Ga. Bocanegra, who played for the USMNT in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, is United’s technical director.
Bocanegra, who will be the 305th person to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame, wore the captain’s armband in 64 of his 110 appearances with the USMNT from 2001-12. His 14 international goals are the most by a U.S defender.
His 15-year professional career began as MLS rookie of the year with the Chicago Fire in 2000. After winning MLS defender of the year in 2002 and 2003, he moved to Europe for stints in England’s Premier League, France’s Ligue 1 and Scotland’s Premier League before two final seasons (2013-2014) in MLS.
The National Soccer Hall of Fame voting committee determined the 2020 class from a list of 42 finalists on the players ballot, 12 on the veterans ballot and 10 finalists in the builder ballot.
Bocanegra was named on 68.5 percent of ballots. The threshold for election is 66.7 percent.
