Jaime Moreno is officially one of the newest members of the Washington D.C. Sports Hall of Fame.
The United legend was inducted into the Hall as part of the class of 2018 through a ceremony at the Nationals-Phillies game at Nats Park on Sunday. One of United and Major League Soccer's all-time greats, Moreno donned the Black-and-Red for 14 seasons, and is one of only two MLS players with 100 goals and 100 assists.
While no United fan should be surprised by Moreno's most recent accolade, the legend himself was somewhat taken aback when he found out he was chosen for the honor.
"I wasn't expecting it," Moreno said following Sunday's ceremony. "Especially when you retire, you concentrate on other stuff, but it definitely is very nice to see that I could achieve this. I'm very proud, very honored, and thankful for the people that thought I should be here."
The Bolivian helped bring four MLS Cups ('96, '97, '99, '04), a CONCACAF Champions Cup ('98), an InterAmerican Cup ('98), and two U.S. Open Cups ('96, '08) back to the District during his storied career, in addition to winning the 1997 MLS Golden Boot, earning MLS All-Star honors seven times, and being named to MLS' Best XI five times. Following the league's 10th season, the forward also earned a spot on MLS' All-Time Best XI.
Moreno built a remarkable career in the District, but he also built a life in the city along the way, calling D.C. his "second home" in addition to Bolivia. And while the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame honor will always evoke memories of Moreno's legendary career on the pitch, it will also serve as a reminder of the special connection the Bolivian developed with the District.
"D.C. and D.C. United mean a lot to me," Moreno said. "I have three kids who were born here. We won championships here, [we got] the whole package here. I'm very blessed and very thankful for all of the support I had through my career here."
Moreno played his last match for United on Oct. 23, 2010, scoring a final goal in his sendoff. He ended his career ranked first in 15 MLS statistical categories, including games played (329), games started (288), and minutes played (25,277). Moreno retired as the league's all-time leading scorer and is still widely regarded as one of the most outstanding players to ever take the field in MLS. And at the center of Moreno's career remain the Black-and-Red and the city of D.C., both of which the Bolivian continues to hold close to his heart.
"To have an opportunity to play here and represent D.C. United, it was a dream. I'm very proud to accept this honor."
