
Brandi Chastain, Don Garber Headline 2016 U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame Inductees
Former U.S. Soccer players Brandi Chastain and Shannon MacMillan, as well as MLS Commissioner Don Garber, were all inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame on Thursday.
U.S. Soccer made the announcement on Twitter:
The organization noted on its official site that Chastain was selected via the player ballot, MacMillan via the veteran ballot and Garberย via the builder ballot.
Chastain is the most notable name on the list and a first-ballot inductee. She won World Cup titles in 1991 and 1999 and competed in the 2003 tournament with the national team. She also won two Olympic gold medals (1996 and 2004) and a silver (2000) and finished her 12-year international career with 30 goals.
U.S. Soccerโs official site said Chastain became the first U.S. player to notch five goals in a single match, which she did during the 1991 World Cup Qualifying competition.
She said, โTo be inducted into the Hall of Fame and have my name read in the same sentence with our countryโs best is truly humbling,โ per U.S. Soccerโs website.
While Chastain was an integral part of two World Cup winners and three Olympic medalists, she is still widely remembered for her celebration after she scored the game-winning penalty kick in the 1999 World Cup Final. U.S. Soccerโs website said she landed on the covers ofย Sports Illustrated,ย Newsweekย andย Timeย after she removed her shirt in ecstasy following the goal.
FIFA TVย shared some highlights of that game, including Chastainโs famous moment:
As for MacMillan, she was also a part of the 1999 World Cup champions, 1996 Olympic gold medalists and 2000 Olympic silver medalists. U.S. Soccerโs website said she is ninth on the all-time list in U.S. womenโs history with 60 career goals.
She also captured the 2002 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.
Chastain and MacMillan have plenty of accomplishments, but they can take pride knowing their 1999 team brought womenโs soccer to the forefront in this country.ย Martin Rodgersย ofย USA Todayย examined the lasting legacy of that team and pointed out it had quite an impact on members of the 2015 World Cup championship team.
Sydney Leroux summarized those thoughts, per Rodgers, โThat is why I'm here, it's why I'm in the U.S. and playing for the U.S. After seeing that as a 9-year-old I knew what I wanted to do and who I wanted to play for, and eventually it happened.โ
Garber joins Chastain and MacMillan as a Hall of Fame inductee after 17 years as the MLS commissioner. U.S. Soccerโs website pointed to his โextensive work growing the sport of soccer in the United Statesโ and said he is the CEO of Soccer United Marketing, which helps promote various things such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
According to U.S. Soccerโs website, details for the induction ceremony for the three new inductees will be released at a later time.


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