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Two Locals On Soccer HOF's Builders Ballot
Kraft and Machnik Helped Further Soccer In Region
January 28, 2008
ONEONTA, NY – Revolution owner Robert Kraft and local soccer camp maven Joe Machnik were among the 16 individuals on the 2008 Builders Ballot for the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Builder candidates were selected by vote of the Builder’s Screening Committee, a 16-member committee made up of selected Hall of Famers, from a list of 53 eligible candidates. The Ballot will be submitted to all Hall of Famers and a select group of current soccer administrators for their vote. The builder candidate who receives the most votes, as long as the total represents at least 50 percent of the ballots cast, will be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Kraft, known mostly for his superb work with the New England Patriots, has served as the chief investor/operator of the New England Revolution since the club's inception in 1996. Kraft’s long-standing support of soccer in the U.S. dates back to his efforts in the early '90s to secure Foxborough as one of the nine host venues for the 1994 World Cup. The success of that World Cup proved that New England was a viable hotbed for soccer and on June 6, 1995, the Kraft Family became the founding Investor/Operator of the Revs, joining Major League Soccer for its inaugural season in 1996.
Kraft also had a two-season tenure as Investor/Operator of the San Jose Earthquakes from 1999-2000. Additionally, Foxborough has hosted the MLS Cup three times, including the 2002 final between the Eastern Conference Champion Revolution and the Los Angeles Galaxy at Gillette Stadium in front of the then-largest crowd in MLS history (61,316).
Machnik, meanwhile, is currently the Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner for On-Field Competition at Major League Soccer. In 1977, Machnik started the No.1 Goalkeeper Camp with some 39 goalkeepers from 13 states participating in that first one week session. He's since turned his No. 1 Soccer Camps into a nationwide enterprse with camps located across the country.
The Connecticut native has already been named to the Connecticut and New England Soccer Hall of Fames, the NISOA National Soccer Hall of Fame and was a FIFA Match Commissioner for World Cup Qualifying games. Machnik also served as Assistant Coach to the 1990 United States World Cup team and was awarded a FIFA bronze medal as Assistant Coach of the United States National Five-A Side team at the World Championships in 1989.
All of the 2008 Builders Ballot nominees:
Bruce Arena – coach, Univ. of Virginia, D.C. United, U.S. Men’s National Team, New York Red Bulls
Esse Baharmast – MLS, National and international referee
Chuck Blazer – soccer administrator and executive, FIFA Executive Committee Member, CONCACAF General Secretary
vRobert ‘Bob’ Contiguglia – former president of U.S. Soccer and Chair, U.S. Youth Soccer
Bill Cox – soccer investor, founder of the International Soccer League in the 60s, president of the NASL’s San Diego Toros
Gino D’Ippolito – NASL, National and international referee
Anson Dorrance – Univ. of North Carolina and U.S. Women’s National Team coach
Bob Gansler – MLS and U.S. Men’s National Team coach
Robert Kraft – MLS investor - operator, New England Revolution
Frank Longo – collegiate soccer and U.S. Soccer administrator
Joe Machnick – collegiate coach, professional referee, currently Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner for On-Field Competition for MLS
Francisco Marcos – Founder of the United Soccer Leagues and current president of USL
Fritz Marth – former Executive Director of U.S. Amateur (now Adult) Soccer Association
Thom Meredith – executive with the North American Soccer League, U.S. Soccer and the Women’s United Soccer Association
Kevin Payne – President and CEO, D.C. United of Major League Soccer
George Strawbridge – owner of the NASL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies
More information about each of the Builder candidates is on the Hall of Fame and Museum’s web site, www.soccerhall.org.
All biographical information was obtained from www.revolutionsoccer.net and www.no1soccercamps.com.
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