"Goose" gets his golden moment - Direct Kick - Jeff Agoos - Brief Article

Soccer Digest, June-July, 2002 by Scott Plagenhoef

WHEN THE UNITED States takes the field against Portugal to kick off its World Cup finals campaign, most Americans will have their eyes trained on striker Clint Mathis. Ever since the Georgia native returned from injury, he has been the pride and the joy of U.S soccer fans, and it is on his shoulders and feet that the hopes of the team rest. The first player I'll look for when I wake to watch the match, however--the one whose presence on the field will wipe the sleep from my eyes and put a smile on my face--is Jeff Agoos.

Although Mathis is capable of the unexpected, and Agoos is, at best, steady, the latter deserves to relish his moments in Korea and Japan more than any other member of the team. Despite being one of three players to have appeared in more than 120 games for the U.S., "Goose" has never played a World Cup match. The defender earned his first cap in 1988 and has been a member of the U.S. player pool ever since 1993. He was heavily involved in the run-up to the past two World Cups, but in 1994 he was among the last players cut from the team and in 1998 he was one of two U.S. field players not to see game action in France.

After learning that he was to be left off the 1994 team, Agoos left the training ground, went home, and tossed his equipment in the fireplace. Then 26, and nearly as slow of foot as he is now, that should have been the funeral pyre for his international career. In the time since, he has been written off multiple times by soccer observers, including this magazine and--truth be told--at least once by yours truly. Surely a younger, more talented player would come through the ranks and supplant him, I thought. And once MLS began not just fielding players but developing stars, Agoos seemed as if he'd be a cagey league vet and little more. Instead, the defender strengthened his resolve and has compensated for his lack of flair and touch with intelligence and intangibles such as positional sense, organizational skill, and heart.

What's more, Agoos is a winner. He is the only player to capture four MLS Cups, was one of three overage players selected to represent the U.S. on its the otherwise U-23 Sydney Summer Olympics team, and was the 2001 MLS defender of the year.

Let's face facts, this is team of blue-collar, lunch-pail guys. If there is a classic American model for this group, it's the self-made man. These guys are rolling up their sleeves and carving their own path. This generation of American players struggled for international respect and domestic interest at every step--and with little reward. For most of those players, their best days are in the past. Not for Agoos. Perhaps more than any U.S. player, he has selflessly led by example, using MLS to mold his skills and working to erase the memories of France `98. And more than any other, he deserves this World Cup--and our respect.