Chicago: David Beckham, the English midfielder who brought increased visibility to American soccer and won a pair of Major League Soccer titles while playing for the LA Galaxy from 2007-12, is among 12 first-time candidates on the 33-player ballot for the US National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Defender Steve Cherundolo, midfielder Pablo Mastroeni and forward Brian Ching, key parts of the US national team, also are new candidates on the ballot announced Wednesday.
Other first-timers include defenders Chris Albright, Danny Califf and Tina Frimpong Ellertson; goalkeepers Joe Cannon and Kevin Hartman, and midfielders Amado Guevara, Eddie Gaven and Leslie Osborne.
