Briana Scurry, Joe Machnik inducted into National Soccer Hall of Fame

ORLANDO, Fla. (Via U.S. Soccer) – Former U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper Briana Scurry and long-time referee, coach, match commissioner and television commentator Dr. Joe Machnik were inducted as the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s 2017 class, while legendary WNT head coach Tony DiCicco was posthumously honored with the Werner Fricker Builder Award during the U.S. Soccer Anniversary Dinner at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld.

Scurry is one of the most experienced and successful goalkeepers in U.S. Women’s National Team history. The Minneapolis, Minn., native was the starting goalkeeper at three Women’s World Cups and two Olympic Games, suffering only two losses in those five tournaments. She is perhaps best known for her phenomenal performance at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup where she made several world class saves in the semifinal victory against Brazil before stopping a penalty in the WNT’s shootout victory against China in the final, leading to Brandi Chastain’s winning spot kick.

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Machnik has been involved with soccer in the United States in almost every way; as a player, coach, referee, instructor, match commissioner and now as a broadcaster for FOX Sports. He has been called “American soccer’s renaissance man.” In 1990, Machnik was on the sidelines with head coach Bob Gansler as an assistant coach when the U.S. Men’s National Team reached its first World Cup in 40 years. He has served as head of referees for three professional soccer leagues, including 15 years of involvement with Major League Soccer. Machnik also spent time as a match commissioner for FIFA and CONCACAF, overseeing World Cup qualifiers and CONCACAF Champions League matches. He’s now FOX Sports’ Soccer Rules Analyst for events like the World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Copa America.

Earlier in the night, the late Tony DiCicco became the 15th recipient of U.S. Soccer’s highest honor, the Werner Fricker Builder Award. One of the most popular figures and leaders in women’s soccer history, DiCicco was a true pioneer. He is the all-time winningest coach in U.S. Women’s National Team history, was part of the coaching staff that won the first FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991, led the USA to the first Olympic gold medal for women’s soccer in 1996 and of course was at the helm of the USA’s historic run to the 1999 Women’s World Cup title.

Named after the former U.S. Soccer President who served from 1984 to 1990, Fricker is widely credited for playing a major role in bringing the 1994 FIFA World Cup to the United States. Born in Yugoslavia and raised in Austria, Fricker lived his adult life in Pennsylvania, where he was a star midfielder for the United German Hungarians of Philadelphia soccer club from 1954 to 1969 and was a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic Team.

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inally, long-time soccer media professional Jim Trecker was also honored with the Colin Jose Media Award. With a career spanning more than four decades, Trecker has been part of the media relations landscape in the United States since the late 1960’s, notably working with the New York Cosmos during Pele’s arrival to the United States and going on to help develop the “mixed zone” during the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. During the tournament, he led a group of media relations professionals that would go on to assume major roles in Major League Soccer, which launched two years after the tournament. His final official role with FIFA was for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan and since his retirement, has remained active in soccer as a consultant on many projects, including the reopening of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

The Colin Jose Media Award was created to honor the contributions of members of the print and electronic media, including reporters, columnists, authors, broadcasters, editors, public/media relations professionals and others who specialize in communications with respect to soccer in the United States. The award is named for Colin Jose, Historian Emeritus of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the preeminent soccer historian of North America.