For all his flashy skills on the field, his bevy of tattoos and a recurring fondness for bleached-blonde hairstyles, Jaime Moreno is a family man at heart.
Moreno and his wife Louise, along with their five children, are active members of the northern Virginia community they call home, and his 11-year-old son James is a regular presence in the D.C. United locker room, often playing small-sided soccer games on the carpet with his friends as Moreno and his teammates shower and change after matches.
So while Moreno paused before stepping up to take the penalty kick that would give him his 109th career MLS goal against the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night -- afterward explaining that he had hoped to earn the honor on a goal in the run of play -- he did not hesitate after netting the spot kick, grabbing the ball and making sure that it was presented to James on the sidelines.
"They were waiting for a while, and they were excited," said Moreno of his family's reaction to his record-breaking achievement. "It's a big relief for them and now that it happened, finally it's over and now they're having a lot of fun. It's just nice, you know? Nice that James was there, and the ball -- it was a special moment that I'll never forget."
When later asked about the historic ball's whereabouts, United's captain responded, "I don't know, my son's got it," then joked that James would use it "probably to kick around in the house with his friends! No, I'm sure my wife's got a plan for it, so I'm sure we're going to put it somewhere special."
It's one more notable keepsake for a household that is surely not lacking in exceptional memorabilia from a remarkable career which began nearly two decades ago in humble circumstances at the now-legendary Tahuichi Academy in Moreno's hometown of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
He made his first appearance in the United States in 1994, where he was the youngest member of his homeland's World Cup roster. After a stint at English side Middlesbrough FC -- where he became the first-ever Bolivian to play in the Premier League -- Moreno made his way to Washington, D.C. to join United. He had impressed for Bolivia in a friendly against the USA at RFK Stadium in June 1996, inquiries were made and he eventually signed with United in August of their inaugural season, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Moreno was a key cog in the Bruce Arena-led Black-and-Red dynasty of the late 1990s, and he lists his most memorable goals as the two he scored in the 1997 and 1999 MLS Cup Finals to hand D.C. their second and third league championships. So Arena's presence on Wednesday, this time as leader of the Red Bulls, was particularly appropriate.
"Bruce is a good friend of mine, a good friend of the family," said Moreno. "We're pretty close. I don't think you want to score against someone you appreciate a lot, but in this business you've got to do what you've got to do. He knows that, and I did my job as much as he did."
Said Arena: "I'm real proud to see it, though I'm not happy it came against our team. He's had a marvelous career and I'm glad I've gotten to see so much of it. I'm honored to have been part of it. ... He's evolved into one of, if not the finest, players in the history of this league."
More recently, it's no coincidence that the club's resurgence has mirrored Moreno's own late-career revival, as he overcame serious back injuries to lead United back to prominence. Once again, he credits his family for giving him the strength to slog through a long, exhausting rehab process.
"They're a big part of all the success and that's one thing that always motivated me to wake up at 7 in the morning to go practice," said Moreno. "They are the big reason. So I'm going to keep fighting, keep working for me and for them."
After returning to health he had to overcome yet another challenge, adapting his game to rely on guile and skill rather than the raw speed he had enjoyed in his younger days.
"I wouldn't say I got slower -- the defenders got faster," cracked Moreno on Wednesday.
Now, after several interruptions to his 2007 campaign caused by injury and international duty, he's hoping to squeeze everything he can out of his 33-year-old legs as he looks to guide his club to a fifth MLS Cup title.
"I came back from Copa America, and I had a couple of injuries," he said. "After I worked so hard to be fit I was able to compete at this level -- it's always hard for you, once you get injured, to come back and try to get fit again. But that's what I'm doing, I'm still working hard to go back to that level that I was, and be able to take D.C. United to the next level."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
