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A consumer’s guide to the best and worst of sports media and merchandise. Ground rules: If it can be read, played, heard, observed, worn, viewed, dialed or downloaded, it’s in play here.

What: National Soccer Hall of Fame, Oneonta, N.Y. (607) 432-3351.

Cost: $8 for adults, $4 for children under 12.

Most have heard of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. It has small-town charm, Doubleday Field, tradition and a good press agent. But about 25 miles down the road, there’s another hall of fame. Like the sport it celebrates, it’s trying hard to get out of the shadow of its more popular neighbor.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame is tucked away on a side street in the college town of Oneonta. The building is unassuming, and the hall only recently reopened after a change in management, but it’s full of the history and memorabilia of soccer in the United States.

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The first display celebrates World Cup ‘94, with a continuous replay of selected games, a map with game sites and memorabilia. Previous World Cups are also represented here.

Men’s and women’s college soccer is the focus of another section, with a display of last season’s NCAA champions and background on the history of the college game.

One of the more prominent displays is on the defunct North American Soccer League, with particular attention paid to the New York Cosmos and its star, Pele.

Major League Soccer is represented with jerseys from all the teams and information about the league. Indoor soccer fans will be disappointed, however; there’s nothing on the Continental Indoor Soccer League.

In the center of the building are plaques bearing the names and career highlights of each member of the hall of fame. Keeping in mind that this hall honors contributions to soccer in the United States, only Pele and a few other names would be recognized by anyone but the most knowledgeable soccer fan.

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