Heath, O’Reilly, Sanneh, Wondolowski among inductees to US Soccer Hall of Fame

NEW DELHI: Women’s World Cup champions and Olympic gold medallists Tobin Heath and Heather O’Reilly were elected Thursday to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame along with men’s players Tony Sanneh and Chris Wondolowski.

Referee Kari Seitz also was elected along with Kevin Crow, known primarily for his time in indoor football. They will be inducted on May 1 at the hall in Frisco, Texas.

O’Reilly, 40, was a forward and winger who scored 47 goals in 231 international appearances, helping the U.S. win the 2015 World Cup and Olympic gold medals in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

She won league titles with Sky Blue in 2009 in Women’s Professional Soccer and with Kansas City in 2015 and North Carolina in 2019 in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Heath, 37, was a midfielder and forward who had 36 goals in 181 appearances, winning World Cup titles with the U.S. in 2015 and 2019 and Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.

Wondolowski, 42, is Major League Soccer’s career scoring leader with 171 regular-season goals and two in the playoffs, playing for San Jose (2005, 2009-21) and Houston (2006-09). He scored 11 goals in 35 international appearances, playing in two games at the 2014 World Cup.

Sanneh, 54, was a defender who scored three goals in 43 international appearances, starting all five games for the U.S. at the 2002 World Cup as the Americans reached the quarterfinals in their farthest advancement since 1930.

O’Reilly, Heath and Wondolowski were picked from the player ballot, while Sanneh and Crow were chosen from the veteran ballot.

Seitz, 55, refereed nine games at the Women’s World Cup in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 and six at the Olympics in 2004, 2008 and 2012. She became the U.S. Soccer Federation’s vice president of referees in 2024.

Seitz was on the builder ballot, which this year included only referees. The top voter-getter is picked if receiving at least 50 per cent. Agencies

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