One of the most exclusive clubs in Major League Soccer will gain a new member at RFK Stadium on Thursday night as Jeff Agoos is inducted into D.C. United's Hall of Tradition, bestowing another mark of distinction on arguably the most successful player in the league's history, a man whose own career path offers visible proof of its progress and promise.
It's a somewhat incongruous return to RFK for Agoos given his current position as sporting director for United's closest rival, the New York Red Bulls. But the 40-year-old is nonetheless relishing the chance to put his duties on hold for a few hours as he joins former teammates John Harkes and Marco Etcheverry in receiving the highest accolade of a proud club.
"I spent five years of my life playing there and I've got a lot of good friends still in the area," he said on Wednesday, "so I'm obviously honored to be part of an elite group of players."
As the owner of an unmatched five MLS Cup championship rings, Agoos already sits alone atop the category every player and coach cares about most. But his victory in a fan vote on dcunited.com also bears witness to an enduring popularity among United fans -- even in spite of his current employer -- and the University of Virginia product returns to Washington with fond memories and a warm heart.
"I believe I was very fortunate to be amongst some very good players and very good organizations," said Agoos, who helped D.C. win three of the first four MLS Cups before moving west to San Jose, where he twice led the Earthquakes to similar glory. "But [RFK] is a very familiar place. I spent a lot of good moments in my career there and it's always had a special place."
A hard-working defender also capable of contributing set-piece brilliance with his strong left foot, "Goose" excelled under Bruce Arena as a four-year All-American at Virginia, then joined the coach to build a similar dynasty with United. Now tasked with building similar success in New York, Agoos pays glowing tribute to the stability and longevity fostered by United president and CEO Kevin Payne. But he also credits the unique spirit of those D.C. squads, who attained levels of domestic and international success that no other MLS team has ever matched.
"I think the overall mentality was just that no matter who we played, whether it was teams in MLS or whether it was foreign teams," said Agoos, "we just believed we could win -- we could step on the field and win. And that's pretty rare, for any team in any sport, especially with the landscape of American sports -- parity on our league, parity in the NFL -- that you had such a common and strong belief that ran from every player, from the first guy to the last guy on the roster."
The long-serving U.S. international will also be remembered for his time with the colorful national teams of the 1990s, a ragtag bunch whose exploits kicked off an era of steady progress in the world rankings and pushed soccer farther into the U.S. mainstream. Even after the close of their playing days, Agoos and former teammates like Marcelo Balboa, Mike Burns, Alexi Lalas and Cobi Jones continue to contribute to the game they love as coaches, commentators and executives.
"I think we all believe in the sport here, and want it to grow," said Agoos. "We've invested a large amount of time on the playing side and we want to try to bring a unique experience to a different part of the structure. I think we all believe in it wholeheartedly, that it can be a big sport here."
His Hall of Tradition induction is taking place on a hugely important night for United's current squad, which needs a win against New England to stay in the playoff race. Though his Red Bulls are sandwiched between Thursday night's combatants in the Eastern Conference standings, Agoos says he'll be just another spectator on Thursday, remaining focused on the long-term development of the club that was known as the league's underachiever during his playing days.
"I've got a great club to work for and I really enjoy the day-to-day stuff that we do here in New York," he said. "I'm more concerned about what we're doing, rather than what other teams are doing, so I'll actually be able to sit back and maybe enjoy the game a little bit."
Charles Boehm are contributors to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
