Washington, D.C. (January 16, 2009) – D.C. United announced former Black-and-Red defender Jeff Agoos was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame. One of the most accomplished defenders in League history, Agoos was selected to the Hall of Fame with 67.9 percent of the votes. An induction ceremony for Agoos and two-time Women’s World Champion Joy Fawcett will be held on August 2 at the Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY.
“It is altogether fitting that Jeff was inducted into the Hall in his first year of eligibility,” said United President & CEO Kevin Payne. “Jeff was a consummate professional, who brought his best to training every single day, and invariably was at his best in his biggest games. He was a great leader, and above all a winner -- his three championships with D.C. United and two with San Jose speak volumes on his behalf.”
An original member of D.C. United, Agoos served as an anchor in United’s widely respected back line from 1996 to 2000. The defender represented United five times in the MLS All-Star Game, and was named to the League’s Best XI three times (1997, 1999, 2001) while a member of the Black-and-Red. Most importantly, Agoos was a driving force behind three MLS Cup titles (1996, 1997 and 1999), a U.S. Open Cup championship (1996), two Supporters’ Shields (1997 and 1999) and the 1998 Champions’ Cup and InterAmerican Cup. Agoos earned the Black-and-Red’s top honor last year, when he was inducted to United’s Hall of Tradition on October 16, 2008.
Following the 2005 Major League Soccer season, Agoos was named to the League’s All-Time Best XI. He announced his retirement as an active player on December 8, 2005. Agoos was also a U.S. Men’s National Team standout, having earned 134 caps – the second most in the team’s history. He represented the U.S. in two World Cups (1998 and 2002) and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
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Doug Hicks,
dhicks@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5448,
Boris Flores,
bflores@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5452,
Kyle Sheldon,
ksheldon@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5450 or
Cristina Cruz,
ccruz@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5440
