Former KC goalkeeping great Tony Meola was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on Wednesday prior to the U.S. Men's National Team's friendly with Brazil at FedEx Field. Meola played 141 MLS matches in his KC career and helped the club reach the MLS Cup in 2000 and 2004 with the two best single-season goals against averages in club history (0.92 and 1.05, respectively). His 16 shutouts, 129 saves and 79.6% save percentage during the 2000 season are also all-time records, of which he holds a few among KC goalkeepers:
- Regular season games played: 125
- Regular season games started: 125
- Regular season minutes played: 11,323
- Regular season wins: 49
- Regular season saves: 507
- Regular season shutouts: 37
- Regular season saves percentage: 74.2
He played in five MLS All-Star matches (1996-1998, 2000, 2002) and was named to the League's All-Time Best XI in November 2005. His 681-minute shutout streak in 2000 still stands as the longest such feat in MLS history and that 2000 season will go down as one of the best ever, in which he received MLS MVP, Goalkeeper of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, MLS Best XI and MLS Cup MVP honors.
He becomes the third former Kansas City player to be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame as a Player, joining Preki (2010) and Alexi Lalas (2006). Former Kansas City Managers Bob Gansler (2011) and Ron Newman (1992) were each inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on the Builders ballot.
