Jeff Agoos (born May 2, 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland) is an
American soccer defender, who currently plays for the MetroStars
of Major League Soccer.
Jeff (nicknamed Goose), who was raised in Texas, currently holds
the record for the most MLS championships of any player with
five total: three with DC United (for whom he played from 1996
to 2000) and two with the San Jose Earthquakes (2001-2004).
Before joining MLS, Agoos played in several different leagues.
From 1986-1989, he played for Bruce Arena at the University of
Virginia, where he was named a First-Team All-American twice,
and finished second in Hermann Award voting in his senior season.
Upon graduating from college, Agoos played Maryland Bays of the
A-League in 1991, and the indoor Dallas Sidekicks in 1992. After
that he moved to Germany, where he played for SV Wehen during
the 1994-5 season, before returning to the United States to join
the nascent MLS.
Agoos made his debut with the United States national team on
January 13, 1988 against Guatemala. Jeff was the last member to
be cut from the US squad for the 1994 World Cup and he burned
his uniform upon hearing the news. He made the squad for the
1998 World Cup in France but did not play a single minute, in
favor of David Regis. In the World Cup in South Korea/Japan at
the age of 34, Jeff started the first three games (he scored an
own goal to finish the scoring in the surprising win against
Portugal) until he suffered a calf injury against Poland and
missed the rest of the tournament.
Jeff was named MLS Defender of the Year in 2001 and earned a
place in the MLS Best XI three times (1997, 1999, and 2001). In
nine years in MLS, he has scored 11 regular season goals and
added 25 assists. He was traded to the MetroStars after the 2004
season for a fourth round draft pick. |