US Soccer Hall of Famer Marcelo Balboa to visit USAFE Published July 6, 2006 By Mandy Smith-Nethercott HQ USAFE Services SEMBACH AIR BASE, Germany -- Renowned National Soccer Hall of Fame Member Marcelo Balboa is to USAFE bases July 10-15 to promote the eXtreme summer ‘06 program. Balboa was the most consistent defender for the U.S. Men’s National Team throughout the 1990’s earning 128 caps and scored an astonishing 13 goals. Nicknamed the “Iron Man”, he won the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award twice during his 13-year national team career (1992, 1994). He is one of the first three players in the history of the U.S. Men’s National Team to play in three consecutive World Cups (1990, 1994 and 1998). Marcelo is a Major League Soccer founding player for the Colorado Rapids in 1996. He played six seasons with the Rapids and earned five consecutive all-star appearances between 1997 and 2001. He became the first defender in the history of the MLS to score 20 goals and register 20 assists in a career. In 2000 he scored the MLS Goal of the Year, which was noted as Soccer America’s “Best Goal” in the first 10 years of the MLS. In 2002 he was traded to the MetroStars where he played five minutes before suffering a career-ending knee injury. Marcelo played six years in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) with the San Francisco Blackhawks, San Diego Nomads and the Colorado Foxes. Marcelo was also commentator for ESPN at the 2006 World Cup of Soccer Championships taking place this summer in Germany. Marcelo will tour USAFE on the following dates: July 10 Buechel AB, Germany July 11 Kleine Brogel AB, Belgium July 12 Kalkar AB , Germany July 13 Volkel AB, Netherlands July 14 Spangdahlem AB, Germany July 15 Ramstein AB, Germany For more information, visit the eXtreme summer ’06 Web site at www.extremesummer.com. eXtreme summer is sponsored in part by: Coca-Cola®, Stars and Stripes, Walt Disney World® Resort, Exchange New Car Sales, TKS, Air Force Reserve Command, Edelweiss Lodge and Resort, and NASCAR Speedway Children’s Charities.