By P.J. Harmer

Staff Writer

Mia Hamm will be the center of attention at the 2007 National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Fellow inductee Julie Foudy said that’s the way it should be.

Associated Press Two-time Olympic soccer gold medalists Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy pose with National Soccer Hall of Fame President George Brown on Tuesday during a media conference in Carson, Calif. The two former U.S. National teammates were elected to the Soccer Hall and will be honored at the Oneonta-based shrine Aug. 26. Hamm received a record 97.16 percent of the votes. Foudy appeared on 83.69 percent of the record 141 ballots cast this year.

"We always joked with her that she must have needed a lot of massages because of how long she carried us," said Foudy, who will enter the Oneonta-based shrine with former U.S. National teammate Hamm on Aug. 26. The Soccer Hall announced the first two members of its Class of 2007 _ via its Players election _ on Tuesday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The elections of Hamm and Foudy mark the first time only women have been selected from the Players ballot pool. Hall Director of Communications Jack Huckel said selections, if any, from the 2007 Veterans and Builders election will be announced in late March.

A record 141 ballots _ 18 more than the previous high last year _ were cast for the 62-candidate Players election, which featured two-time Olympic gold medalists Hamm and Foudy for the first time. Hamm, the face of women’s soccer for nearly two decades, appeared on 137 ballots for a record 97.16 percent of the votes. Michelle Akers, another of Hamm’s former teammates, set the record of 95.77 percent in 2005.

"I knew I was up for it, but I had put it out of my head," Hamm said of the election. "It was very special (to be elected), and my first response was gratitude and surprise."

Foudy, 36, appeared on 118 ballots (83.69 percent) as the two easily met the minimum requirements for election. The top two vote-getters, as long as they appear on 50 percent of the ballots, earn election into the Hall each year. A third person can earn election in the same year if the top three receive at least 80 percent of the votes.

Joy Fawcett, who played for the U.S. with Hamm and Foudy, finished third in the 2007 voting with 67.38 percent of the votes on her first try.

"I was disappointed, but you can’t dictate what happens," said Foudy, one of seven women among the 13 newcomers on the Players ballot. "It doesn’t seem right. It seems like (Fawcett) should go ahead of me."[an error occurred while processing this directive][an error occurred while processing this directive]Said Hamm, who will turn 35 on March 17: "I think Joy is as deserving as anyone. We’d love to have her standing there with us this year."

But no matter who is next to her, Hamm stands alone.

An 18-year member of the U.S. National team, Hamm is one of the most decorated soccer players in history. A four-time NCAA Division I champion at North Carolina, Hamm is America’s top scorer in international competition _ men included _ with 158 goals and 144 assists. During her tenure, 5-foot-5 forward Hamm helped the U.S. to win 82.5 percent of its games, including two FIFA World Cup championship games with Foudy.

Her popularity sky-rocketed as the featured player in the first professional women’s soccer league, the Women’s United Soccer Association.

Although the WUSA folded after three seasons _ shortly after Hamm led the Washington Freedom to the Founders’ Cup Championship in 2003 _ she remains as the source of inspiration for a generation of girls soccer players.

"She carried the sport almost single-handedly but never wanted to be the sole face," Foudy said of Hamm, who appeared in 275 international games. "She did it in such a classy way and was so selfless. It’s what helped create the foundation of the (U.S.) team.

"It could have been different if Mia had been about Mia," Foudy continued. "The game and the team is what she thought about. She’s not just an incredible athlete, she’s a special person."

Foudy is no slouch, either.

A midfielder who served as the U.S. captain from 2000-2004, Foudy finished with 45 goals and 59 assists in 271 international matches over a 17-year career. The U.S. won 83.69 percent of its games with Foudy, also a founding member of the WUSA who has served as president of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Since her retirement, Foudy has served as an in-studio analyst for ESPN and ESPN2 during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. She also has provided commentary and expert analysis during U.S. women’s matches since.

Foudy said she gave birth to a daughter Jan. 1 and recently moved into a new house, so her election to the Hall hasn’t fully set in yet.

"It’s been so crazy," said Foudy, who learned of her election two weeks ago. "It’s exciting and it’s gradually sinking in. I know in August it will really sink in."

Foudy has visited Oneonta twice before. She attended last year’s Induction Ceremony, which honored Alexi Lalas and the retired captain she replaced on the U.S. National team, Carla Overbeck. Foudy also appeared at the Hall on Oct. 8, 2001, when the 1991 U.S. National team received the Hall’s most prestigious award. That team earned the Medal of Honor for its 2-1 victory over Norway in the World Cup championship and for helping to lay the foundation that made women’s soccer an Olympic sport in 1996.

Hamm has been to Oneonta before, too. After receiving the Medal of Honor in 2001, Hamm went on to score a goal for the Freedom in a 3-1 WUSA exhibition win over the Boston Breakers at the National Soccer Hall of Fame Campus.

Considering their joint-accomplishments, it seems appropriate that Hamm and Foudy will enter the Hall together. The two helped the U.S. National team to Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2004, along with a silver in 2000. They contributed to FIFA World Cup championships in 1991 and 1999, the latter drawing 90,185 fans to the Rose Bowl, and third-place finishes in 1995 and 2003.

"What I loved about being a part of that (U.S.) team is that we were extremely conscientious," Hamm said. "For us, it was always about each other and the bigger cause, not what we got out of it individually."

Hamm may be leaning on Foudy for expert advice in the near future, too, as she and husband Nomar Garciaparra are expecting twins in 6-to-8 weeks. Hamm said Garciaparra, a first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, will not accompany her to Oneonta in August.

The Dodgers are scheduled to play the New York Mets on Induction afternoon and follow the next day with the start of a three-game homestand against the Washington Nationals. Huckel said although no specific time has been set for the Induction Ceremony, it will take place during midday Aug. 26.

"That’s tough," Hamm said. "It will be hard not to have him there. You want to share that experience with him."

Former Bolivian national team member Marco Etcheverry, who helped lead D.C. United to three Major League Soccer Cups, finished fourth in the 2007 Players voting with 58.16 percent.

Former U.S. National men’s team member Thomas Dooley placed fifth with 51.77 percent.

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P.J. Harmer can be reached at mailto:pharmer@thedailystar.com">pharmer@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 229.