The Chicago Fire and the MetroStars will play in the first ever Hall of Fame Game as part of the National Soccer Hall of Fame's Induction weekend in Oneonta, NY on Monday, October 11. The game is one of a series of weekend events that will be televised live for a national audience at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Sports World and via live streaming on the league's official web site at www.MLSnet.com.
The highlight of the weekend festivities is the enshrinement of Major League Soccer's first Hall of Fame inductees: forward Eric Wynalda and defender Paul Caligiuri. The two former MLS All-Stars join former U.S. Women's National Team stalwart and FIFA Women's Player of the Century Michelle Akers and ex-U.S. National team captain Michael Windischman as members of the Hall of Fame's "Class of 2004."
A detailed schedule of events and satellite coordinates for Induction Weekend follow:
Sunday, October 10:
11 AM - Memorial Service (@ Walk of Fame)
12 PM - Hall of Fame Golf Tournament (@ The Oneonta Country Club)
3 PM - MLS Hall of Fame Team Clinics (@ Bettiol and Wilber Fields)
5 PM - Hall of Famer's Reception/Silent Auction (@ Hall of Fame Atrium)
Monday, October 11:
11 AM - Induction 2004 Enshrinement Ceremony (@ Hall of Fame Atrium)
1:30 PM - 2004 MLS Hall of Fame Game (@ At-A-Glance Field): Chicago Fire vs. MetroStars
Wynalda, a color analyst for ESPN2's RadioShack Soccer Saturday Game of the Week broadcasts, is the all-time leading scorer in U.S. National Team history and also scored the first goal in MLS history on April 6, 1996 as the San Jose Clash defeated D.C. United 1-0 in the League's Inaugural Game. Wynalda began his MLS career with San Jose in 1996 before joining the Miami Fusion (1999-2000), New England Revolution (2000-2001) and Chicago Fire (2001), amassing 98 appearances and 34 goals. He joined MLS after an illustrious career for the U.S. National Team (1990-1998) in which he netted 34 goals. Prior to joining MLS in 1996 Wynalda broke ground in the German Bundesliga as an American forward, the first to secure a starter's spot in a major European league while at Saarbrucken.
Caligiuri, a former defender for the Columbus Crew and Los Angeles Galaxy, will always be remembered for his goal on November 20, 1989 when his looping volley from 35 yards found the back of the net against Trinidad and Tobago in the decisive CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier for the 1990 Italy World Cup. The goal ensured the qualification of the U.S. to its first World Cup tournament since the historic performance in 1950, ending a 40-year absence. Caligiuri's international career began as an undergraduate at UCLA and included participation in the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cup. Caligiuri started each of the seven matches the U.S. played in those two tournaments, playing all but 18 minutes. One of the first Americans to play in the German Bundesliga, Caligiuri joined MLS in its Inaugural Season and enjoyed a six-year career which started in Columbus (1996) and ended in Los Angeles with the Galaxy (1997-2001), where he captured the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Championship in his final game for the Galaxy in 2001.
