Two stalwarts of the Seattle Sounders were given U.S. Soccer’s highest honor on Wednesday, when the federation announced that longtime USMNT goalkeeper Kasey Keller and Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid had been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Keller was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot, while Schmid was elected on the Builder Ballot. Joining them in the Class of 2015 is the late Glenn “Mooch” Myernick, a longtime U.S. Soccer luminary who represented the country on every level as a player and coach.
One of the most successful and experienced goalkeepers in US Soccer history, Keller enters the Hall of Fame following a 19-year international career that saw him play 102 games for the USMNT. The four-time World Cup veteran and three-time US Soccer Male Athlete of the Year was the first American to become a regular in the Bundesliga, the English Premier League and La Liga.
He ended his club career in MLS, returning to the States to play for his hometown Sounders from 2009-2011. He made 93 league appearances with Seattle, helping the team to the US Open Cup title in all three of his years with the club and earning MLS Best XI honors in his final season in 2011.
"It's a great honor," said Keller, who has been the Sounders' color commentator since his retirement. "You look at some of the guys that have been elected before; it's not an easy process. It's not like it's an open-door policy. It's cool to be voted in. I really saw it firsthand, when I was able to speak on [Brian] McBride's behalf, of how cool it is. I'm proud and thankful for the people that helped get me to that point throughout my career: teammates, coaches, friends, family. It's kind of a culmination of what you've done and how you got there and all the people that helped you get to get to that point, so I'm thankful for that."
MLS’s all-time winningest coach, Schmid enters the Hall of Fame on the Builder Ballot after 35 years of coaching experience on the pro and college levels. The LA Galaxy head coach from 1999-2005, the Columbus Crew SC boss from 2006-2008 and the only manager in the Seattle Sounders’ MLS history, Schmid has won everywhere he’s been, taking home the 2000 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup, 2001 US Open Cup and 2002 MLS Cup with LA, winning MLS Cup 2008 with Columbus and winning four Open Cups in Seattle.
Schmid got his start in the college game, leading his alma mater UCLA to three national championships during his 19 years as head coach of the Bruins. He also served on Bora Miltunovic’s staff for the USMNT at the 1994 World Cup and has had two stints as the US Under-20 manager.
"I would like to thank U.S. Soccer for this incredible honor, as this is certainly right up there with the top moments I've experienced in this sport," said Schmid. "I am honored to be inducted alongside Kasey Keller, who is a Seattle soccer icon. I knew Mooch [Glenn Myernick] for a long time, and as a colleague, a coach and a player, he dedicated his life to the sport, and he's such a good person. Being inducted with those two guys is a tremendous honor, and I am very humbled."
The late Glenn Myernick, who passed away on Oct. 5, 2006 at the age of 51, will enter the Hall of Fame on the Veteran Ballot as an American soccer pioneer who represented the U.S. at every level as a player and coach across a lifetime of soccer success.
The head coach of the Colorado Rapids from 1997-2000, Myernick served as an assistant coach for the US at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups and was an integral part of the team's quarterfinal run at the 2002 World Cup. He also coached the US in its championship victory at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup after head coach Bruce Arena was suspended for the final.
Myernick was also an accomplished player, earning 10 caps with the USMNT and winning team MVP honors for the Portland Timbers in the NASL in 1982.
"This means everything to us; his whole world was soccer," said his wife, Nancy Myernick. "It revolved around the game from the time he was a little kid playing in Trenton, to youth soccer, and then going to college, and being with the national team. He could never get enough. We built our lives around soccer, and we traveled the country to make it happen for him and to be involved in whatever level he could be. He put 110 percent effort into whatever he did with soccer. We wish he could have received this honor himself, but knowing the family will be there is a huge honor."
Established in 1950, the National Soccer Hall of Fame is dedicated to the sport of soccer in America by celebrating its history, preserving its legacy, inspiring its youth and honoring its heroes for generations to come.
Details on the induction ceremony for Keller, Schmid and Myernick will be announced at a later date.
