Legendary goalkeeper Tim Howard, who played in 121 matches for the United States men's national team, was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas on Saturday. Howard, now 45, holds the World Cup record for most saves in a match with 16 when the U.S. faced Belgium in the 2014 World Cup. He played in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups during his stint on the national team from 2002-17. Howard expressed his gratitude during his induction speech, stating, 'The bell rang 121 times for me, and 121 times, I answered the bell for the greatest country in the world.'
Also inducted on Saturday were former U.S. women's midfielder Tisha Venturini-Hoch, former U.S. National 7-a-side Paralympic Team captain Josh McKinney, and executive Francisco Marcos. Venturini-Hoch, 51, played 134 matches for the U.S. women's squad between 1992-2000 and was part of the famous 1999 team that won the Women's World Cup. She expressed her gratitude for the game and the people it brought into her life.
McKinney, born with cerebral palsy affecting the right side of his body, made 124 appearances and scored 81 goals over 19 years. He played in three Paralympics (1996, 2004, 2012) before retiring in 2014. McKinney, the first Extended National Team player in the National Soccer Hall of Fame, expressed his honor in providing a pathway for future athletes.
Francisco Marcos, the longtime head of the United Soccer League, was also inducted. Howard, in addition to his national team career, played for the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (1998-2003) and Colorado Rapids (2016-2019) in Major League Soccer, as well as Manchester United (2003-06) and Everton (2006-16) in the English Premier League, where he earned goalkeeper of the year honors in 2004.
