The National Soccer Hall of Fame on Tuesday released the names of the finalists for election to the Class of 2022, including 20 on the Player ballot, 10 on the Veteran ballot and four on the Builder ballot.
Among the finalists are a trio of former Chicago Fire standouts: Chris Armas, Josh Wolff, and Tony Sanneh. Former Fire assistant coach Clint Mathis is also up for enshrinement.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committees will meet over the next several weeks and then vote to select a maximum of six new members; as many as three Players and two Veterans can be selected, along with one Builder.
The 2022 Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 21.
Armas was acquired by the Fire prior to the team’s inaugural 1998 season and went on to help the MLS expansion side win both the 1998 MLS Cup and the 1998 U.S. Open Cup to capture a historic double. Through the next nine seasons as a player in Chicago, Armas led the Fire to three more U.S. Open Cup Championships (2000, 2003, 2006) and helped the Fire reach the MLS Cup Finals in 2000 and 2003. The seven-time MLS All-Star finished his decorated playing career in 2007 having tallied 12 goals and 48 assists through 214 games. Armas was enshrined into the Ring of Fire on October 22, 2009.
Between 1998-2002, Wolff made 106 appearances for Chicago across all competitions, scoring 39 goals and adding 19 assists. He won three championships with the Club, including the 1998 double, and played in all four finals the team appeared in during his five seasons with the Fire.
Sanneh appeared 36 times for the Fire from 2005-06, highlighted by a memorable performance in the Club's 2006 U.S. Open Cup final win vs. LA Galaxy. The defender helped shut down a potent LA attack and assisted the game-clinching goal in the 88th minute, earning him Man of the Match honors as Chicago lifted its fourth Open Cup trophy.
Player Ballot Finalists
- David Beckham
- Shannon Boxx
- Lori Chalupny
- Brian Ching
- Clint Dempsey
- Maurice Edu
- Thierry Henry
- Lauren Cheney Holiday
- Eddie Johnson
- Shalrie Joseph
- Robbie Keane
- Pablo Mastroeni
- Josh McKinney
- Heather Mitts
- Oguchi Onyewu
- Carlos Ruiz
- Hope Solo
- Aly Wagner
- Cat Reddick Whitehill
- Josh Wolff
Veteran Ballot Finalists
- Chris Armas
- Chico Borja
- Marco Etcheverry
- Linda Hamilton
- Mary Harvey
- Frankie Hejduk
- Clint Mathis
- Tony Sanneh
- Kate Sobrero Markgraf
- Tisha Venturini-Hoch
Builder Ballot Finalists
- Esse Baharmast
- Brian Hall
- Sandra Hunt
- Kari Seitz
Builders are listed in three categories: referees, coaches, and owners and administrators. Based on the rotation established in 2020, only referees are being considered for the 2022 Builder Final Ballot.
The two Players, one Veteran and one Builder who receive the most votes and are named on more than 50% of the ballots are automatically elected to the Hall of Fame. Procedural changes announced earlier this year also allow for a third Player and a second Veteran to be elected if they are named to at least 75% of the ballots.
