MLS owner Philip Anschutz and St. Louis native Al Trost, a veteran of the North American Soccer League, have been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Anschutz has been chosen to receive the highest honor awarded in soccer, the National Soccer Medal of Honor and induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. This will mark only the fourth time the medal has been presented as the recipientÆs contribution to soccer must be so significant as to have changed the course of the sportÆs history.
Phil Anschutz, through his company AEG, is a founding investor-operator of Major League Soccer and currently operates four franchises. AnschutzÆs commitment to professional soccer is largely responsible for the success of MLS during its inaugural decade. Dedicated to building a viable professional American league, AEGÆs business model includes the creation of soccer-specific stadiums for company operated teams. Coinciding with the 2003 opening of The Home Depot Center, as the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, the team established the first profitable MLS franchise by any team in league history. The Home Depot Center is now the home of two MLS teams (the Galaxy and Chivas USA) in addition to serving as the team training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation, USA Cycling, United States Track & Field and the United States Tennis AssociationÆs High Performance National Training Center. Additionally, the venue has been designated as an Official U.S. Olympic Training Site.
Another AEG soccer specific stadium will be opening this June in Bridgeview, Ill., will be the new home for the Chicago Fire. Plans for soccer stadiums in New York and Washington are also in development.
Trost had been on the VeteranÆs Ballot for the past 5 years but never reached the 50% threshold needed for election. He was one of the premier American players in the North American Soccer League and was captain of the U.S. national team in the early 70s. His NASL career took him to the St. Louis Stars then on the California Surf and Seattle Sounders. In is 7 years in the league, he scored 38 goals and had 24 assists. He played 14 times for the United States in international play and 10 times as an Olympian. Anschutz and Trost will be join players Alexi Lalas and Carla Werden Overbeck in the Class of 2006. Induction ceremonies scheduled for Aug. 28 at the Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y.