2008 Veteran Eligibility List
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Desmond Armstrong (last played in the MISL in 1989; last played in the APSL in 1991; last played in the U.S. national team in 1994; last played in the USISL in 1996). Played 81 full internationals for the United States between 1987 and 1994, including three World Cup qualifiers in 1988 and 1989 and three World Cup games in 1990. Member of the United States teams at the 1988 Olympic Games and the 1990 World Cup. Played three seasons in the MISL and three seasons in the APSL and its predecessors.

Barry Barto (last played in the U.S. national team in 1975; last played in the NASL in 1977). Played six seasons in the NASL between 1972 and 1977 for Montreal, Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale. NASL champion in 1973 with Philadelphia. Played 16 full internationals for the United States between 1972 and 1975, including four World Cup qualifiers in 1972. Played 68 NASL regular-season games and two NASL playoff games.

George Best (last played in the NASL in 1981). Played six seasons in the NASL between 1976 and 1981 for Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale and San Jose. NASL all-star in 1976 and 1977. NASL second-team all-star in 1981. NASL honorable mention all-star in 1978. Played 139 NASL regular-season games and 11 NASL playoff games.

Hubert Birkenmeier (last played in the NASL in 1984; last played in the MISL in 1987). Played six seasons in the NASL between 1979 and 1984 for New York. NASL champion in 1980 and 1982 with New York. NASL all-star in 1982 and 1984. NASL second-team all-star in 1981. Played 145 NASL regular-season games and 23 NASL playoff games. Played three seasons in the MISL.

Teofilo “Nene” Cubillas (last played in the NASL in 1983; last played in the USL in 1986; last played in the ASL in 1989). Played five seasons in the NASL between 1979 and 1983 for Fort Lauderdale. NASL all-star in 1980 and 1981. NASL runnerup in 1980 with Fort Lauderdale. NASL second-team all-star in 1979 and 1982. Played two seasons in the United Soccer League and two seasons in the ASL. Played 120 NASL regular-season games and 21 NASL playoff games.

Steve David (last played in the NASL in 1981; last played in the MISL in 1984). Played eight seasons in the NASL between 1974 and 1981 for Miami, Los Angeles, Detroit, California, San Diego and San Jose. NASL all-star in 1975 and 1977. NASL runnerup in 1974 with Miami. NASL honorable mention all-star in 1974. Played 175 NASL regular-season games and seven NASL playoff games. NASL most valuable player in 1975. NASL scoring champion in 1975 and 1977. Played three seasons in the MISL.

Linda Hamilton (last played in the U.S. national team in 1995). Played 71 full internationals for the United States between 1987 and 1995, including four World Cup qualifiers in 1994 and 12 World Cup games in 1991 and 1995. Women's World Cup champion in 1991. Member of the United States teams at the 1991 and 1995 Women's World Cups.

John Kerr Jr. (last played in the ASL in 1990; last played in the MISL in 1992; last played professionally outside the United States in 1995; last played in the U.S. national team in 1995; last played in MLS in 1997). Played 16 full internationals for the United States between 1984 and 1995, of which 10 were prior to 1990, including three World Cup qualifiers in 1985. Played two seasons in MLS between 1996 and 1997 for New England. Played 38 MLS regular-season games. Played five seasons in English and Irish professional leagues, three seasons in the ASL, one season in the Canadian Soccer League and one season in the MISL.

Bill McPherson (last played in the ASL in 1931; last played in the SLSL in 1934). Played 10 seasons in the ASL between 1922 and 1931 for Fall River Marksmen and New Bedford Whalers. Played two seasons in the St. Louis Soccer League in 1933 and 1934 for Stix, Baer & Fuller. ASL champion in 1924, 1925, 1926, 1929 and 1930 with Fall River. St. Louis league champion in 1933 and 1934 with Stix, Baer & Fuller. U.S. Open Cup champion in 1924, 1927, 1930 and 1931 with Fall River, 1932 with New Bedford, and 1933 and 1934 with Stix, Baer & Fuller. U.S. Open Cup runnerup in 1935 with Pawtucket Rangers. Played 366 regular-season games and four playoff games in the original ASL.

Bruce Murray (last played in the U.S. national team in 1993; last played in the A-League in 1995; last played in the NPSL in 1996). Played 85 full internationals for the United States between 1985 and 1993, including 10 World Cup qualifiers in 1988 and 1989 and three World Cup games in 1990. CONCACAF Gold Cup champion in 1991. Member of the United States teams at the 1988 Olympic Games and the 1990 World Cup. Played six seasons in the APSL/A-League and its predecessors. Played one season in the NPSL.

Glenn “Mooch” Myernick (last played in the U.S. national team in 1979; last played in the MISL in 1980; last played in the NASL in 1984). Played 10 full international games for the United States between 1975 and 1979. Played eight seasons in the NASL between 1977 and 1984 for Dallas, Portland and Tampa Bay. Played one season in the MISL. Played 163 NASL regular-season games and five NASL playoff games. Head coach in MLS for four seasons.

John "Harp" O'Connell (last played in the U.S. national team in 1954; last played in the ASL in 1956). Played 10 seasons in the ASL between 1946 and 1956 for Brooklyn Wanderers, New York Americans and New York Hakoah. ASL champion in 1954 with New York Americans. U.S. Open Cup champion in 1954 with New York Americans. ASL most valuable player in 1948 and 1949. Played four full internationals for the United States between 1949 and 1954, including two World Cup qualifiers in 1954.


Hugo Perez (last played in the NASL in 1984; last played in the MISL in 1988; last played in the U.S. national team in 1994; last played professionally outside the United States in 1996). Played 73 full internationals for the United States between 1984 and 1994, including seven World Cup qualifiers in 1984, 1985, 1988 and 1989, and one World Cup game in 1994. CONCACAF Gold Cup champion in 1991. Member of the United States teams at the 1984 Olympic Games and the 1994 World Cup. Played three seasons in the NASL between 1982 and 1984 for Tampa Bay and San Diego. Played 49 NASL regular-season games and two NASL playoff games. Played four seasons in the MISL, two seasons in the French second division, one season in the Swedish first division, one season in the Saudi Arabian first division and two seasons in the Salvadoran first division. Honda Award winner in 1991. USSF men's athlete of the year in 1991.

Bob Rigby (last played in the U.S. national team in 1975; last played in the NASL in 1984). Played 12 seasons in the NASL between 1973 and 1984 for Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Montreal and Golden Bay. NASL champion in 1973 with Philadelphia. Played six full internationals for the United States between 1973 and 1975. NASL second-team all-star in 1973 and 1974. Played 217 NASL regular-season games and 20 NASL playoff games. Played three seasons in the MISL.

Kyle Rote (last played in the U.S. national team in 1975; last played in the NASL in 1979). Played seven seasons in the NASL between 1973 and 1979 for Dallas and Houston. NASL North American all-star in 1978. Played five full internationals for the United States between 1973 and 1975. Played 142 NASL regular-season games and eight NASL playoff games.

Information
This list of players have met the criteria making them eligible and have been selected by the Veteran Screening Committee to be candidates in the election that will choose a veteran player to be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2008. This list includes both information about the achievements that enabled these players to meet the eligibility criteria and other information about their playing careers.

All of the players on this list have been retired long enough that they are no longer eligible for election to the Hall of Fame by the regular player selection process. For purposes of the 2008 election, this means that they must have retired in 1997 or earlier.

All of the players on this list have been added to it via one or another of the following three processes:
1. The records of the United States national teams, the North American Soccer League and the American Soccer League where available have been studied to find players who meet the eligibility criteria via their play in the national teams, the NASL or the ASL. Those who do meet the criteria in this way, and who have been retired long enough, have been added to this list (the study of ASL records is only partially complete).
2. Some nominations for players from certain other, pre-NASL, leagues have been received by the National Soccer Hall of Fame. The records of these leagues have been studied where possible and other research efforts have been made by the Hall of Fame's historians to determine whether the players in question meet the eligibility criteria. If they do, they have been added to this list.
3. Players whose years on the eligibility list for the Hall of Fame's regular selection procedure have expired have been added to this list.

A player can meet the eligibility criteria established by the Board of Directors of the National Soccer Hall of Fame in either or both of the following ways:
1. Through his or her play in the United States national team. To meet the criteria via this route, a player must have played at least 20 full international games for the United States. This 20-game requirement is reduced to 10 games if they were prior to 1990 and five games if they were prior to 1960.
2. Through his play in the North American Soccer League or, prior to 1968, one of various regional leagues that include the American Soccer League, the North American Soccer Football League, the German-American Soccer League of New York, the National Soccer League of Chicago, the St. Louis Soccer League, the Keystone League of Western Pennsylvania, the Greater Los Angeles Soccer League, the San Francisco Soccer League and the National Association Foot Ball League. To meet the criteria via this route, a player must have played at least five seasons those leagues and won the league championship, won the U.S. Open Cup championship or been selected a first-team league all-star at least once.

The information listed here is not limited to the achievements that enabled a player to become eligible. It includes professional-leagues information for players who have met the eligibility criteria only through their national-team careers and national-team information for players who have met the eligibility criteria only through their professional-league careers.

Some of the players listed here had careers in those pre-NASL leagues that began before the start of the NASL in 1968 but extended beyond 1968. Their full years in those leagues are cited here, rather than just the pre-NASL years.

Some definitions:
-Winning the league championship means that the player played on the winning team in the championship game or series, or in at least one victory during seasons when there was no league final and the champion was decided by the league standings.
-Winning the U.S. Open Cup means that the player played on the winning team in the championship game or series.
-NASL all-star means first-team all-star. Second-team and honorable mention selection are listed in part of the biography. NASL North American all-star refers to the team selected by the Professional Soccer Reporters Association.
-In many pre-NASL leagues, all-star teams were not chosen. In those instances, winning a league MVP award or a league goalscoring title is considered sufficient to fulfill the all-star requirement.
-References to "predecessors" of the APSL refer to the third American Soccer League and the Western Soccer Alliance/Western Soccer League, which merged in 1990 to form the APSL.

Sources for the information here include The 1984 North American Soccer League Media Guide, The 2006 U.S. Soccer Federation Media Guide, The "Bill Graham" Guides, American Soccer League, 1921-31 by Colin Jose, The North American Soccer League Encyclopedia by Colin Jose, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Newark Evening News.