Hall of Fame Inductees Honored

The newly formed Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame and USL Hall of Fame, formed in 2002, announced inductions to their respective Halls over the last month. The Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame inducted twelve members to its inaugural class, as selected by legendary and current coaches Ron Newman (San Diego Sockers), Al Miller (Cleveland Force and Crunch), Kenny Cooper (Baltimore Blast), Gordon Jago (Dallas Sidekicks), and Keith Tozer (Milwaukee Wave, 1992-present) and Kim Roentved (Missouri Comets, 2011-present). The United Soccer Leagues’ list consisted of nine men and women, as selected by its Hall of Fame members and teams.

The Dallas Sidekicks’ Tatu is the only individual appointed to both Halls of Fame.

Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame
2011 Press Release

Earl Foreman, MISL (unanimous selection)
Foreman co-founded the MISL in 1978 with Ed Tepper and served as commissioner until 1985 and returned for a second stint from 1989-1992. Foreman, a lawyer-turned-sportsman, previously had ownership at various times in the Baltimore Bullets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Oakland Oaks/Washington Caps/Virginia Squires (ABA). Under Foreman's leadership the MISL blossomed into a 14 team league averaging 9,000 a game with nationally televised games on ESPN and CBS.

Steve Zungul, San Diego Sockers
Known as The Lord of All Indoors, Zungul set just about every indoor soccer scoring record during his 11 year career. Zungul was to indoor soccer what Wayne Gretzky was to hockey. In 423 games he scored 652 goals, 471 assists and 1,123 points. He added another 189 points in 77 playoff games en route to winning eight championships with the New York Arrows and San Diego Sockers. Amongst his most impressive feats are his 108 goal season in 1980-81, a 76-game point scoring streak from 1978-81, and scoring three goals in 37 seconds in a game in 1982. He was named MISL MVP a record six times.

Branko Segota, San Diego Sockers
Often overshadowed by Zungul, Segota was the second all-time leading scorer in the MISL and won nine MISL championships with New York and San Diego and also won a 10th with the Las Vegas Dustdevils of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. Segota scored 463 goals, 378 assists for 841 points in 403 MISL games. He also played with the St. Louis Storm and Baltimore Spirit. He was born in what is now Croatia, but represented Canada in the 1986 World Cup.

Tatu, Dallas Sidekicks
Antonio Carlos Pecorari, known as Tatu, or sometimes the Fantastic Armadillo, was the face of the Dallas Sidekicks for two decades. Playing for Gordon Jago on the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Tatu began his famous custom of throwing his shirt into the crowd after every goal he scored. In 1984 he followed Jago to Dallas where he remained as a player and eventually a coach until 2003. Tatu won four championships with the Sidekicks, was third on the all-time MISL scoring list and second in the history of indoor soccer in points. Tatu's popularity was important to the growth of indoor soccer and the long-time success of the Sidekicks. Tatu played one season for the Wichita Wings while the Sidekicks were transitioning from the MISL to the CISL.

Stan Stamenkovic, Baltimore Blast
Stan "The Magician" was perhaps the most skilled ballhandler in the history of indoor soccer. It was not uncommon to see Stamenkovic dribble through three players and then score one of his patented backheel goals. At 6', 200lbs. Stamenkovic wasn't a physical specimen, but defensive double teams could rarely contain him. Stamenkovic led the Blast to the 1984 MISL championship as the regular season MVP and playoff leading scorer. Three times Stamenkovic was voted as MVP of the MISL All-Star Game. Stan was 10th all-time in MISL scoring (542 points) despite just playing in 256 games. His career began in Memphis and he attempted a brief comeback with the San Jose Grizzlies. Less than two years later, on January 26, 1996, Stamenkovic tragically died in a fall at the age of 39.

Kevin Crow, San Diego Sockers
The only American born player in this year's class, Crow was the Sockers steady man in the back. Crow played 10 seasons with the Sockers, and won eight championships, five Defender of the Year awards, and was a six-time All-MISL First Team defender. He played 433 regular season games for the Sockers and earned 13 caps with the US National Team.

Victor Nogueira, San Diego Sockers
The ageless goalkeeper from Mozambique enjoyed a career that spanned the NASL, MISL, and NPSL over parts of four decades before retiring at 45. Nogueira won 12 Goalkeeper of the Year awards, four MVP awards, and seven championships with the Sockers and Milwaukee Wave. Nogueira won 166 games in the MISL with Chicago, Cleveland, and San Diego and was the Wave's all-time wins leader with 227. He held the MISL records for wins in a season (31) and GAA (2.86).

Kim Roentved, Wichita Wings
Kim "the Rocket" was the highest scoring defender in MISL history. Roentved scored 504 points in 494 MISL regular season games with the Wichita Wings and Kansas City Comets. He played another 237 games in the NPSL with 124 goals and 189 assists giving 817 career points. Roentved was selected to play in a record 14 All-Star Games and was twice named the MISL Defender of the Year and once earned the same honor in the NPSL.

Juli Veee, San Diego Sockers
"Double deuce and triple E, the one and only Juli Veee" made an indelible mark on the Arrows and Sockers. Veee, born Gyula Visnyei, played just nine seasons indoor, but won six championships and scored 602 points in 263 MISL and NASL Indoor games. Veee was named MVP of the 1983 Championship and played in three All-Star Games. He earned four caps with the US National Team after becoming a US citizen.

Ron Newman, coach, San Diego Sockers
A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Newman cemented his reputation by leading the Sockers to 10 titles in 11 years. His career record with the Sockers and Arizona Sandsharks was 371-223. In the MISL years his teams only lost one playoff series in nine years and carried an 80-37 playoff record. Newman only won the 1987-88 MISL Coach of the Year award, a surprising stat given that he was able to overcome adversity year after year to guide the Sockers to title after title. Newman also revolutionized how the game was played, adapting the sixth attacker, super power play and streamlined substitution techniques that put the Sockers on the cutting edge.

Kenny Cooper, coach, Baltimore Blast
Though Cooper began his indoor coaching career with the Houston Summit and ended with the Tampa Bay Terror, he will forever be recognized as the beloved coach of the Baltimore Blast. Cooper guided the Blast to five championship appearances, winning once in 1984. Cooper compiled a career record of 416-321, was the 1988-89 MISL Coach of the Year, and the MISL's all-time leader in wins. His impact on the bench was undeniable, but as an ambassador for the game he helped move the Summit to Baltimore and blossom as a franchise. Cooper not only sustained the Blast's popularity, but was instrumental in finding new ownership when the MISL folded. His legacy lives on as Baltimore has maintained an indoor team for 32 years.

Don Popovic, coach, New York Arrows
Popovic and his New York Arrows were the most dominant team in MISL history. They won the first four championships compiling a 114-26 record. Much of the success of the San Diego Sockers derived from the core group that originated in New York. Popovic would coach six MISL teams and never duplicated what his Arrows did, but found success in Las Vegas and St. Louis, sometimes reuniting with such players as Juli Veee and Zoltan Toth. Popovic finished with a career record of 256-155.

United Soccer Leagues
(indoor soccer, only)
2011 USL Press Release
USL Hall of Fame

Builder – Edwin Hale Sr., Baltimore Blast
Edwin Hale Sr. has twice been the principal owner of the Baltimore Blast, first owning the club from 1989-92 before re-purchasing the club in 1998. During Hale’s second stint, the Blast have become a league power, winning their first league championship in almost two decades in 2003. That victory triggered a remarkable run of success that saw the Blast win another five championships, the most recent coming in 2009. In addition to his work with the Blast, Hale has also been a respected member of the Baltimore business community, and is currently the CEO of Visit Baltimore, formerly the Baltimore Area Visitors and Convention Association.

Coach – Keith Tozer, Milwaukee Wave
Keith Tozer has become an indoor soccer icon as the coach of the Milwaukee Wave, a position he has held since 1992. A former player, Tozer began his coaching career with the Louisville Thunder in 1984, winning a championship in 1987. Since becoming the Wave’s coach, Tozer has won five championships while appearing in another four finals, claiming the club’s first title in six seasons with victory in the 2010-11 MISL Championship in March.

Player – Tatu, Dallas Sidekicks, Wichita Wings
Tatu was one of the most accomplished players in the MISL’s history, scoring 857 goals during his 19-year career, the second most in indoor soccer history. A dominant force for the Dallas Sidekicks, with whom he won four championships, Tatu won the league MVP award six times. Later in his career, he also acted as the player/coach for the Sidekicks, winning Coach of the Year honors in the 2003-04 season, one season after his retirement from the field.