Before Landon Donovan, before Claudio Reyna, before John O'Brien, there was Tab Ramos. The son of Uruguayan immigrants, Ramos grew up playing soccer on the paved courts of Kearny, N.J., a small suburb of New York City with a rich soccer tradition. The combination of Ramos' Latin roots, an inherited love of the game and an immersion in the sport all aided in the development of one of the best players ever to put on the U.S. national team jersey.
On Monday, Ramos was honored -- along with his childhood friend and fellow Kearny product John Harkes, as well as Marcelo Balboa -- as a 2005 inductee into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Ramos was recognized for his great contributions to U.S. soccer, both at the international level, as well as at the club level, where he was one of the founding members of the MetroStars.
"It's very difficult to describe," said Ramos about his induction. "When you get elected, you get chosen as the elite of the elite and it's certainly something you don't expect. As a child you dream of many different things, but this is not one of them. This is way beyond that. I'm extremely honored and in awe."
Ramos was one of the trailblazers of soccer in the USA, playing a huge role on the team that propelled the U.S. back into the international soccer spotlight by qualifying for the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, a 1-0 win on the road against Trinidad & Tobago guaranteeing passage to the big stage.
"Qualifying for the 1990 World Cup was a big moment because no one believed that that team could do it," said Ramos. "I don't know if we believed in it either. It was an emotional rollercoaster with that team. It was incredible that we did it."
The U.S. was awarded the 1994 World Cup and Ramos again proved to be one of the most reliable offensive weapons, this time under journeyman Bora Milutinovic, whom Ramos praised and thanked during his induction speech.
Ramos provided the pass that sent Earnie Stewart in alone with the Colombian goalkeeper to score the game-winning goal in the shocking result that catapulted the U.S. into the knockout stages against Brazil. However, his World Cup dream ended before the final whistle blew against the eventual champions, a vicious elbow to the head from Leonardo fracturing his skull.
But Ramos would bounce back from injury and find success in both Spain and Mexico, helping Real Betis gain promotion to the Spanish first division and a championship with Tigres UANL in Mexico. He would return to his homeland in 1996 to be one of the most popular players for the MetroStars, where he played for seven seasons before retiring in 2002.
"Obviously, we didn't win any championships, but this is not only about championships for me," Ramos said about his playing days in the Meadowlands. "It was about defending the colors that I will identify with forever. [The MetroStars] are going through a rough time on the field at the moment, but I see great things in the future."
Ramos is doing his part to ensure the future is indeed bright as he works with young players from the tri-state area as a coach and indoor soccer center owner.
Without Ramos and his fellow inductees, soccer in the USA would not be what it is today, and this is why his name will forever be enshrined in Oneonta.
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story is not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
