USMNT legends Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley have been inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, and were given the news by previous inductee and former team-mate Clint Dempsey.
Donovan and Beasley were live on Fox Soccer discussing the 2022 World Cup, when Dempsey crashed the party and delivered the news live on air. "Welcome to the club," Dempsey said when breaking the news, leading to an emotional reaction from the pair.
"I've got some really big news, I want to congratulate Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley for being inducted into the US soccer Hall of Fame," Dempsey said before embracing his former team-mates. And things quickly turned into a party atmosphere.
Beasley and Donovan will be inducted as members of its 2023 class at a ceremony on May 6 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The pair have been elected in their first year of eligibility, and are both worthy inductees for all they gave to US soccer.
Dempsey was inducted this year, and will now be joined by his former team-mates who have left a lasting impact on the nation. Donovan earned 157 USMNT caps which is second on the all-time list, and is the joint top goalscorer (57) alongside Dempsey.
Donovan played at three World Cups and one Olympic Games, and also won four Gold Cups. Donovan is considered as one of the greatest male American players of all-time, with Dempsey also in the conversation.
Six MLS Cups were won by Donovan, and he won the MVP award that many times that it's even named after him. Beasley made 126 appearances for the USMNT, which is the seventh highest on the all-time list.
Beasley became the first American to play in four World Cups, and also boasts five Concacaf Gold Cup victories. Like Donovan, Beasley played in the Premier League for part of his career, signing for Manchester City on loan in 2006.
Both Donovan and Beasley came through the ranks together for the USMNT, and there was an emotional story to be told from the start of their international careers. "One of my favorite memories of all time is 2002," Donovan said on Fox.
"I don’t know if you remember, but walking down the tunnel for our first game against Portugal. And we had been together at that point for five years, growing through everything. I remember looking at Beas and looking at each other like ‘Holy, from where we came from to make it this far?’"
