Sport: Soccer
Born: September 21, 1966
Town: Kearny, New Jersey
Tabare Ramos Ricciardi was born September 21, 1966, in Montevideo, Uruguay and moved to New Jersey at age 11. His father had played professionally in South America for more than a decade before the family relocated to the Harrison–Kearny area. There, in America’s most fertile and competitive soccer environment, “Tab” quickly established himself as one of the region’s standout youth stars. On the Thistle FC youth club. He enrolled at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, combining with Thistle teammate John Harkes to produce a state championship in 1983. That year, Tab was named national Player of the Year. He graduated from St. Benedict’s as a two-time All-American, with a state-record 161 goals.
The New York Cosmos drafted Tab in 1984, but he decided to continue his amateur career—a smart choice, given that the NASL was on the verge of extinction. That year he did not make the Olympic squad, which drew sharp criticism from New Jersey soccer fans.
Tab attended North Carolina State University on a soccer scholarship. He was a great fit for NC State coach George Tarantini’s attacking style. Tab earned All-America recognition three times with the Wolfpack and also played for Team USA in the 1988 Olympics and 1990 World Cup. He would compete in World Cup 94 and 98, too, finishing with 81 international appearances for men’s national squad. He scored 8 career goals—all of which came in US victories, and two of which were the deciding tallies in World Cup qualifying matches.
Tab played professionally as an attacking midfielder in Spain and Mexico and was pushing 30 when Major League Soccer began in 1995. He had the distinction of being the league’s #1 overall draft pick, by the MetroStars. Tab suited up for the club through 2003, but was injured much of the time he played MLS. In 2005, he was inducted the National Soccer Hall of Fame along with Harkes.
After his playing days, Tab began his coaching career. In 2013, he led the national U-20 squad to qualify for the U-20 World Cup, as well as a berth in the CONCACAF finals. In 2014, he also served as an assistant to senior team coach Jurgen Klinsmann during the World Cup. In 2017, Tab’s team won the U-20 CONCACAF championship. In 2019, he was named coach of the MLS Houston Dynamo.