On February 20th, the National Soccer Hall of Fame released the most recent list of nominees, including three Dynamo legends — Brian Ching, Stuart Holden, Brad Davis and current assistant coach Pablo Mastroeni.
Ching retired at the end of the 2013 season and still holds the club record for most goals scored in all competitions with 69 and regular season with 56. The six-time MLS All-Star also earned 45 caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team. Ching scored a hat-trick in Houston’s inaugural match, a 5-3 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Robertson Stadium.
Holden is once again nominated after appearing on the ballot in his first year of eligibility in 2018. Before announcing his retirement in 2016, Holden was part of the squad who won two MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007. The former midfielder scored 22 goals and tallied 19 assists for the Dynamo from 2006-2009. Holden has also earned 25 caps for the USMNT and scored three goals at the international level.
Davis also retired in 2016 after 15 years in MLS. The midfielder relocated to Houston with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2005 and was also part of the MLS Cup winning squads in 2006 and 2007. Davis commanded the Dynamo midfield for the majority of his MLS tenure and finished with 123 assists and 392 games played, which rank third and fourth on the all-time MLS regular season charts.
Dynamo assistant coach Pablo Mastroeni was also nominated for the National Soccer Hall of Fame for his accomplishments on the field. As a player, the former defensive midfielder played with the Rapids for more than 11 years before joining the LA Galaxy, where he spent the 2013 season. As a head coach in the MLS, Mastroeni led the Colorado Rapids to their best regular-season record of all time with a franchise record of 58 points in 2016. He also holds a U.S. Soccer Federation PRO License and graduated from the same program with current Dynamo head coach Tab Ramos.
Voting is set to begin on March 18th and ending on April 1st, where a decision will be made on who will make it to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
