Revolution Coach Friedel to be Inducted Into National Soccer Hall of Fame
Friday, June 01, 2018
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| Brad Friedel to be inducted into National Soccer Hall of Fame |
Friedel, who is one of five members of the 2018 class, was informed by former U.S. men’s national team teammate Tab Ramos following a training session at Gillette Stadium.
“Getting in is truly an honor and getting into the soccer hall of fame generally means that you represented your country, if you can represent your country in any sport or in any way possible, its normally one of your biggest achievements and it certainly was mine. I was very fortunate to play in two Olympics and three World Cups with the United States and had a wonderful time playing for them and now I’m having an incredible journey as a coach in the United States, so like I said, nothing has really sunk in. It has all been a surprise,” said Friedel following the announcement.
Other inductees include Cindy Parlow Cone, Dr. Bob Contiguglia, Don Garber (elected in 2016 but deferred enshrinement to 2018) and Tiffeny Milbrett.
Friedel and the rest of the class will be enshrined in Frisco, Texas on October 20 at Toyota Stadium.
Friedel as a Player
Friedel’s club career that spanned more than 20 professional seasons, including 17 in the English Premier League and 13 years with the United States Men's National Team.
Between 1997 and 2015, Friedel made 450 league appearances in England's top flight with four clubs: Liverpool (1997-2000), Blackburn Rovers (2001-08), Aston Villa (2008-11), and Tottenham Hotspur (2011-15).
As a U.S. international, Friedel collected 82 international caps and was a member of three United States World Cup squads in 1994, 1998 and 2002.
He represented the United States at two Olympic Games in 1992 and 2000.
Friedel played collegiately at UCLA where he earned the Hermann Trophy in 1992 which is awarded to college soccer’s best player.
Friedel With the Revolution
Friedel is in his first season as head coach of the Revolution after being hired in the offseason to replace Jay Heaps.
The Revolution are currently 5-4-4 on the season and are coming off of two straight draws, the most recent coming against Atlanta United on Wednesday.
The Revolution return to action on Saturday, June 2 when they host the New York Red Bulls.
Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Other Inductees
Don Garber
Don Garber was named Commissioner of Major League Soccer in 1999 after 16 years at the National Football League where he served in a variety of senior leadership positions.
During his tenure, MLS has expanded from 10 to 26 clubs, added 22 new owners and secured long-term broadcast agreements with ESPN, FOX, and Univision along with major broadcasters in Canada, Europe, Asia and South America.
Garber has also led efforts to develop 19 soccer stadiums in the United States and Canada, and five more soccer venues will open in the next few years. In addition, Garber serves as CEO of Soccer United Marketing, the commercial arm of MLS and multiple soccer properties, including U.S. Soccer.
In 2011, the Los Angeles Times named Garber one of the nation’s top sports commissioners. He has been named among the top 50 most influential people in sports business by the Sports BusinessJournal every year since 2005. The Queens, NY native was originally elected into the Hall of Fame in 2016 but opted to defer his enshrinement until 2018.
Tiffany Milbrett
While playing for the U.S. Women’s National Team, Tiffeny Milbrett earned a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, a silver medal in the 2000 Olympic Games and was a member of the squad that won the 1999 Women's World Cup.
She earned 206 caps, scored 100 goals and played in three World Cups. When not playing for her country Milbrett played professionally for clubs in Japan, USA, Sweden, and Canada from 1995-2010.
The Portland, OR native and Denver, CO resident is the University of Portland’s second-leading goal scorer (103) and is fourth all-time in assists (40).
Dr. Bob Contiguglia
Dr. Bob Contiguglia served as President of U.S. Soccer from August of 1998 until March of 2006.
U.S. Soccer reached several important milestones during his tenure, including a U.S. Women’s National Team victory in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal won by the U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The Great Neck, NY native, and Denver, CO resident also served as the President of U.S. Youth Soccer from 1990-96.
Cindy Parlow Cone
Cone has a decorated history with the U.S. Women’s National Team. She retired as the squad’s 5th all-time leading scorer during an era in which she helped the U.S. women win the World Cup in 1999 and third place in 2003.
Her 158 caps and 75 goals also earned her two Olympic gold medals and a silver medal and, to this day, she remains the youngest soccer player (male or female) to win an Olympic gold medal and a World Cup.
Prior to her international career, Cone was a two-time NCAA Player of the Year and two-time NCAA National Champion at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Cone continued her Tar Heel career as an assistant coach where she helped guide the team to four NCAA Championships.
She then went on to win the inaugural NWSL Championship (2013) as the head coach of the Portland Thorns. She also served on the coaching staff for the U.S. U-14 & U-15 Girls’ National Teams (2010-2013).
