Wisconsin Soccer Central

Three players with Wisconsin ties are among the 27 players on this year's ballot for the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Longtime Milwaukee Wave goalkeeper Victor Nogueira, midfielder Tony Sanneh (UW-Milwaukee) and former U.S. women's national team defender Kate Markgraf, who lives in Whitefish Bay, are all up for induction in the Class of 2014.

Nogueira is on the Players ballot for the final time - if he isn't elected this year, he will move to the Veterans ballot in 2015 - while Markgraf is one of 10 players on the ballot for the first time. Sanneh made his debut on the ballot last year.

To be eligible for election to the Hall as a player, an individual must be retired for at least three years, but no more than 10 years, and have earned at least 20 caps for the U.S. or played at least five seasons in an American first division professional league and have been named to a postseason all-league or all-star team at least once.

Nogueira won seven league titles, four MVP awards and was named Goalkeeper of the Year 12 times in his tremendous 19-year indoor career He played 11 seasons in Milwaukee and is the Wave's career leader in nearly every goalkeeping category.

In 1998, the Mozambique native was named the league MVP, Goalkeeper of the Year, playoff MVP, All-Star Game MVP and made the all-league team as Milwaukee won the National Professional Soccer League title – the franchise's first championship.

Nogueira spent time with English club Newcastle United and played in the North American Soccer League with the Atlanta Chiefs, Montreal Manic and Chicago Sting – he was part of the Sting's championship team in 1984, the league's final season. He also earned 16 caps for the U.S. National Futsal team and was named the top keeper at the 1992 FIFA Futsal World Championship, where the Americans finished second.

Sanneh starred at UWM from 1990 to '93 before a 15-year pro career that saw him play in Germany and with five Major League Soccer teams. He still ranks first in Panthers history with 32 assists and 138 points and second with 53 goals, and was named a second-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association in 1993.

In his first pro season, he had 14 goals and 14 assists in 18 matches for the Milwaukee Rampage in the USISL and he also played for the Wave before joining D.C. United in the inaugural 1996 MLS season – the club won the first two MLS Cups, with Sanneh scoring in each final. He joined German club Hertha Berlin in 1999 and played in the UEFA Champions League, then spent three seasons at 1. FC Nuremberg.

Sanneh earned 43 caps with the U.S. national team, playing all five matches at the 2002 World Cup – he was a key member of the squad that advanced to the quarterfinals, being one of only three players to play every minute in the tournament.

He returned to MLS in 2004 and spent time with the Columbus Crew, Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids and Los Angeles Galaxy before retiring after the 2009 season. Sanneh finished his MLS career with 16 goals and 28 assists in 130 regular-season matches and six goals and four assists in 20 playoff appearances.

Markgraf ranks ninth in international history with 201 appearances, and was part of three U.S. teams that won major titles: the 1999 Women's World Cup and the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. She also claimed silver in the 2000 Olympics and played for sides that finished third in the Women's World Cup in 2003 and '07.

A three-time All-American at Notre Dame, Markgraf was named the Defensive MVP of the tournament as the Fighting Irish won the 1997 national title. She played professionally with the Boston Breakers in the Women's United Soccer Association from 2001 to '03, then with Swedish club KIF Örebro DFF before returning to the U.S. to join the Chicago Red Stars in Women's Professional Soccer in 2010.

The pool of voters includes all past and present U.S. men's and women's national team coaches, all active MLS and National Women's Soccer League head coaches with a minimum of four years of experience as a head coach in a first division league, MLS and NWSL management representatives – MLS commissioner Don Garber and NWSL executive director Cheryl Bailey, a former University of Wisconsin athletic department official – U.S. Soccer CEO/Secretary General Dan Flynn, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati, all Hall of Famers and selected media members.

Voters can list as many as 10 candidates on their ballot, which is due Feb. 7. Players appearing on at least 66.7 percent of ballots earn election, while players who don't appear on at least 5 percent of ballots are dropped from future ballots.

The panel also will consider 15 candidates in the Veterans category – those standards are the same as the Player category, except it is for players who have been retired for more than 10 years – and nine individuals in the Builder category.