Slavisa “Steve” Zungul

A forward who was considered the dominant indoor player of his era, and also had noteworthy outdoor achievements.

Zungul played 11 seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League for the New York Arrows, Golden Bay Earthquakes, San Diego Sockers and Tacoma Stars. He was a first-team all-MISL selection eight times, the league most valuable player six times, the league scoring leader six times and an MISL champion five times (four with New York and one with San Diego). In those 11 MISL seasons, he scored 755 goals in the regular season and playoffs.

Zungul played two seasons in the North American Soccer League, 1983 and 1984, both for the Golden Bay Earthquakes, and was a first-team all-star selection both years. He was the NASL’s most valuable player and scoring leader in 1984. During his two NASL seasons, he scored a total of 49 goals.

Zungul’s career was considerably hampered by restrictions he faced after he defected from Yugoslavia in 1978 at the age of 24, when he was a rising star of the Yugoslav national team. His former club, Dynamo Zagreb, had FIFA sanctions placed on him that barred him from playing outdoor soccer in the United States until they were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1983. His outdoor career was then cut short by the end of the NASL when he was 30.

Elected in 2023.