D.C. United announced today plans for Jaime Moreno to be inducted into the D.C. United Hall of Tradition, presented by Allstate Insurance. The legendary striker earned United’s most prestigious honor having garnered 87% of the fan vote conducted on www.dcunited.com and at D.C. United’s home game last Saturday night. Moreno will be inducted in a halftime ceremony as United faces the LA Galaxy in September. BUY TICKETS.
“I’d like to thank the fans for their votes and making this opportunity a reality,” said Moreno. “Being a part of the Hall of Tradition is a tremendous honor and I’m excited to be recognized alongside the great players already acknowledged on the wall.”
Widely considered one of the best players to ever play in Major League Soccer, Moreno is, perhaps, the most revered striker to ever appear in a D.C. United uniform. Moreno signed with the Black-and-Red on July 29, 1996 and scored a goal in his first club appearance one week later. The Bolivian international played a part in all 12 major domestic and international trophies currently held by the club: four MLS Cup titles (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004), four Supporters’ Shields (1997, 1999, 2006 and 2007), two U.S. Open Cup championships (1996 and 2008), and the 1998 Champions’ Cup and InterAmerican Cup victories. Individually, he was honored as a member of the MLS All-Time Best XI, following the League’s 10th season, is a four-time member of the MLS Best XI (1997, 1999, 2004 and 2005), a seven-time MLS All-Star (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2010) and the 1997 Golden Boot winner. Moreno played his last official match on October 23, 2010, scoring a goal in his final appearance. He ended his United career ranked first in 15 MLS statistical categories, including games played (329), started (288), minutes played (25,277), goals (131), assists (102), game-winning goals (26), game-winning assists (26), multi-goal games (17) and penalty kick goals (43).
Moreno joins elite company in becoming just the seventh player in club history to be honored with Hall of Tradition induction. John Harkes (2003), Marco Etcheverry (2007), Jeff Agoos (2008), Raul Diaz Arce (2009), Eddie Pope (2010), Richie Williams (2011), and Ben Olsen (2012) are the other former members of the Black-and-Red to be honored in such a manner.
“Jaime is one of the best players in the history of D.C. United and MLS, and he is very deserving of this honor,” said United General Manager Dave Kasper. “He has provided our fans with many special moments of brilliance and with terrific memories of lifting trophies. Jaime is a winner, a true team player, and we owe him a deep gratitude for all of his contributions to the club, on and off the field, during his career with the Black-and-Red.”
In conjunction with tonight’s announcement, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the region’s leading source for multiplatform sports coverage, along with D.C. United, announced plans to air encore presentations of five memorable D.C. United matches, featuring Jaime Moreno, June 24-28 as a part of Moreno Moments. The special five-game series will feature iconic memories highlighting the most prolific forward to ever play in Major League Soccer.
Details of Moreno Moments schedule on Comcast SportsNet are listed below:
Monday, June 24 at 7 p.m. ET
D.C. United vs. Tampa Bay (August 7, 1996)
Moreno wasted little time in setting the tone for his MLS career. In a starting role for his debut, the Bolivian international was key in United’s 3-1 victory, scoring his first MLS goal.
Tuesday, June 25 at 7 p.m. ET
D.C. United vs. LA Galaxy (November 21, 1999)
Moreno scored a goal and United won its third MLS Cup in four MLS seasons courtesy of a 2-1 win over the LA Galaxy. The performance capped another standout season in which Moreno was honored as an All-Star and member of the MLS Best XI.
Wednesday, June 26 at 7 p.m. ET
D.C. United vs. San Jose (April 3, 2004)
In a game billed as Freddy Adu’s debut, Moreno stole the show, scoring a goal and adding an assist in his return to the Black-and-Red. The legendary striker had spent a forgettable 2003 campaign in New York before re-signing with United prior to the 2004 season. Moreno would cap an MVP-caliber season by hoisting an MLS Cup that year.
Thursday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET
D.C. United vs. Columbus Crew (May 31, 2006)
It didn’t take long for Moreno to score his 100th MLS goal, as the iconic striker slotted home a penalty kick just eight minutes into the game. D.C. United would beat the Crew defense four more times on the night en route to a 5-1 win.
Friday, June 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET
D.C. United vs. New England (April 17, 2009)
With an extra-time assist on Ben Olsen’s goal, Moreno cemented his status as the most prolific forward to ever play in Major League Soccer. Moreno’s helper gave him 100 on his career, making him the first player to tally 100 goals and 100 assists in League play. United drew New England 1-1 on the day, but the game was overshadowed by Moreno’s legendary achievement.
