Clarence Goodson

Clarence Edgar Goodson IV (born May 17, 1982) is an American former soccer player who played as a defender.

Clarence Goodson
Goodson in 2015
Personal information
Full name Clarence Edgar Goodson IV
Date of birth (1982-05-17) May 17, 1982
Place of birth Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Position(s) Defender
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2003 Maryland Terrapins
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003 Boulder Rapids Reserve 12 (1)
2004–2007 FC Dallas 74 (3)
2008–2010 IK Start 69 (10)
2011–2013 Brøndby 60 (6)
2013–2016 San Jose Earthquakes 49 (2)
Total 264 (22)
International career
2008–2014 United States 46 (5)
Medal record
Representing  United States
WinnerCONCACAF Gold Cup2013
Runner-upCONCACAF Gold Cup2009
Runner-upCONCACAF Gold Cup2011
Men's Soccer
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Youth career

Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Goodson attended Annandale High School his freshman and sophomore seasons before moving to Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School. He was the Annandale team MVP, setting a school record for goals and points by a sophomore in 1998. He then went on to win the Virginia State High School Soccer title playing for W.T. Woodson High School in 2000. He played his club soccer with the Braddock Road Warhawks, winning the 1999 U-17 national championship. Goodson played three years of soccer at the University of Maryland, which he joined in 2000. After redshirting in 2001, Goodson helped anchor the defense of one of the best teams in college soccer. In his career at Maryland, Goodson played 66 games, registering 10 goals and 11 assists. In 2003, he spent the collegiate offseason with the Boulder Rapids Reserve.[1]

Club career

After his junior year, Goodson signed a Project-40 with Major League Soccer (MLS), entering the 2004 MLS SuperDraft as an underclassman, where he was drafted seventh overall by the Dallas Burn. In his first year with the Burn, Goodson played only 247 league minutes in five games; however, he saw extended action in Cup competitions and exhibitions. He became a starter in 2005, the year the team was renamed FC Dallas.

On November 21, 2007, Goodson was selected by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2007 MLS Expansion Draft but declared that he would not be signing a new contract with MLS in January 2008; instead, he signed a contract with the Norwegian team IK Start. He remained with Start through the 2010 season. In November 2010, Goodson signed with Brøndby of the Danish Superliga.[2]

Goodson returned to MLS on June 28, 2013 when he signed with San Jose Earthquakes.[3]

Goodson served as an elected Board Member for the Major League Soccer Players Association (Union) and was a critical leader to establish a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for MLS athletes.

International

Goodson made his international debut in a friendly against Sweden on January 19, 2008. He was a member of the U.S. squad at the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and scored in the semifinal against Honduras on July 23, 2009. On May 26, 2010, Goodson was selected to be part of the 23 man roster for the American national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Goodson served as an elected Union Representative for U.S. Soccer.

Goodson has been used in the rotation of Centerbacks for the U.S. Men's National Team under Jürgen Klinsmann. Goodson was named to the United States roster for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup competition. He was included on Klinsmann's 30-man preliminary roster for the U.S. team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but he was not included on the final roster.[4]

  • Stretching for a free kick in 2015
    Stretching for a free kick in 2015
  • Warming up at Buck Shaw Stadium in 2013
    Warming up at Buck Shaw Stadium in 2013
  • at Avaya Stadium in 2015
    at Avaya Stadium in 2015
  • Goodson signing autographs with Landon Donovan during an open training session at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
    Goodson signing autographs with Landon Donovan during an open training session at the 2010 FIFA World Cup

International goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. July 23, 2009 Soldier Field, Chicago, United States  Honduras 1 – 0 2–0 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2. January 23, 2010 Home Depot Center, Carson, United States 1 – 3 1–3 Friendly
3. June 11, 2011 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States  Panama 1 – 2 1–2 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
4 July 5, 2013 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States  Guatemala 5 – 0 6–0 Friendly
5 July 21, 2013 M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, United States  El Salvador 1 – 0 5–1 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Retirement

Goodson retired from professional soccer after a spinal injury in December, 2016. Goodson now works professionally as a players relations manager for MLSPA. He stays active coaching soccer in his community.

Goodson and wife Kelsey, in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, built a soccer field at his childhood school, North Springfield Elementary School. The Clarence Goodson Field is used to serve underprivileged youth in his childhood neighborhood. The "Mini-Pitch Initiative" is to create a safe space in the community to play, be coached, mentored, and learn the benefits nutrition and exercise, specifically serving U.S. Soccer Foundation Soccer youth teams for underprivileged youth. His generous contribution has inspired other current and former professional athletes to build mini-pitch's in their communities as well. The couple are licensed ministers and serve as Youth Directors in San Jose, California. Goodson is a public and motivational speaker, focusing on teams and youth development.

Personal

Goodson married Kelsey Dawson on January 31, 2009, in Tacoma, Washington. The couple were featured on an episode of HGTV's House Hunters International,[5] searching for an apartment in Copenhagen after Goodson's transfer to Brøndby IF. He purchased an apartment valued at $900,000.

Goodson is a Christian. Goodson participates in a weekly team Bible study.[6]

Career statistics
As of November 11, 2015.
Season Club League League Cup League Cup Continental Total
AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
2004FC DallasMajor League Soccer5020000070
2005292002000312
2006130002000150
2007271111100293
FC Dallas totals 743315100825
2008StartFirst Division224100000234
2009Tippeligaen213200000233
2010263100000273
Start totals 69104000007310
2010–11BrøndbySuperligaen102000000102
2011–12312200020352
2012–13192100000202
Brøndby totals 606300020656
2013San Jose EarthquakesMajor League Soccer900020110
20141000000100
20152820000282
San Jose totals 4720020492
Career totals 25021101514026923

Honors

United States

Individual

References
  1. "2003 Boulder Rapids Reserve". uslsoccer.com. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  2. "Brondby signs Clarence Goodson". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 4, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  3. "Earthquakes sign U.S. National Team defender Clarence Goodson". June 28, 2013. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  4. "World Cup: Clarence Goodson not pleased with USMNT snub, says Jurgen Klinsmann 'unwilling' to give immediate explanation, MLS.com, May 26, 2014.
  5. Person McSmith (October 23, 2008). "Soccer Transfer to Copenhagen, Denmark : House Hunters International : Home & Garden Television". Hgtv.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  6. "Clarence Goodson".
  7. "USA 1–0 Panama – as it happened". Guardian UK. July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
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