The 22-year-old striker’s bold European plans by no means materialized, however Juan Agudelo is again with the U.S. nationwide workforce and decided to make a robust impression.
BY
Brooke Tunstall
Posted
April 15, 2015
7:25 AM
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SAN ANTONIO—Juan Agudelo’s eyes mirror the journey soccer has taken him on. Pupils that after sparkled with impish glee and the pure confidence of the supremely gifted are actually calm and appear to mirror deep thought.
Euphoria and enthusiasm have been changed by knowledge and endurance, the form of data normally solely discovered on the College of Laborious Knocks, an establishment with an open enrollment and a low commencement fee.
Nonetheless simply 22, Agudelo is trying to jump-start a as soon as supremely promising profession that has seen him go from would-be savior to clubless castaway whereas nonetheless youthful than most present rookies in Main League Soccer. He has returned to the New England Revolution and confirmed sufficient by means of six video games of the MLS season to earn a return to the US nationwide workforce after greater than a yr away.
“I feel like I’ve learned a lot, all I’ve been through,” Agudelo stated. He speaks with a quiet confidence that exhibits little signal of the younger up-and-comer whose confidence and smile have been as soon as a part of a nationally run industrial for a distinguished sporting items firm that can also be an MLS sponsor. “One of the things I’ve learned is not to take things for granted. I’m very happy to have another chance with the national team.”
It’s been four-and-a-half years since Agudelo debuted with a bang for the senior workforce. As a 17-year-old, six days earlier than changing into sufficiently old to vote, he bought on the tip of a Combine Diskerud cross and scored the game-winning purpose in a pleasant in opposition to South Africa late in 2010.
Nationwide workforce greatness appeared inevitable then and he appeared nicely on his solution to it in 2011. He drew a penalty in opposition to Chile within the nationwide workforce’s annual January camp and scored the tying purpose in opposition to Lionel Messi and Argentina in a pleasant that March. That summer time he was a part of a U.S. aspect that reached the Gold Cup last in 2011, a event that proved to mark the tip of Bob Bradley’s reign as nationwide workforce coach. All instructed he performed 14 video games for the U.S. in 2011. He’s performed for the nationwide time three time since, the final coming in a pleasant in opposition to Ukraine greater than a yr in the past.
“It’s good to be back. When you’re younger you might not understand what you have,” Agudelo stated. “But I think I appreciate it more after everything I went through and being away for a while.”
A part of the rationale the call-ups stopped coming was an unsettled membership state of affairs. In 2011 Agudelo scored a dozen targets for the Pink Bulls, which had signed him to a homegrown deal in March of the earlier yr. However with New York eager to go along with veteran gamers to encompass French icon Thierry Henry and the membership fearing he’d bolt for Europe the primary likelihood he bought, Pink Bull jettisoned Agudelo to Chivas USA early in 2012.
There he battled accidents, poor type, and the malaise that typically comes from taking part in for a nasty membership. He managed simply three targets in 24 video games in 2012. Accidents shelved him early in 2013 however as soon as wholesome he was one in every of Chivas’ few vibrant lights, scoring twice in six video games earlier than a mid-season commerce to the Revolution that got here months earlier than he’d be out of contract.
With New England he rediscovered his type, scoring seven targets in 14 video games and serving to the workforce return to the playoffs. By then, he’d signed a pre-contract with English Premier League workforce Stoke Metropolis and when the Revolution season ended he crossed the Atlantic.
Besides, he by no means certified for a piece allow in England. As a result of the nationwide workforce call-ups had dried up after 2011, Agudelo didn’t have close to sufficient caps to satisfy the 75 p.c threshold wanted for foreigners (with out a European Union passport) to qualify for a piece allow and he was by no means capable of play for Stoke.
Whereas they tried, to no avail, to enchantment, Stoke loaned him to Dutch aspect Utrecht and Agudelo scored thrice in 14 video games. However along with his appeals denied, his Stoke contract was terminated and Agudelo started in search of one other membership in Europe. Any membership.
Solely the suitors by no means got here.
“Very frustrating, yes” was all he would say about it. The 2014 World Cup got here and went, and Agudelo was caught in soccer purgatory. With no acceptable provide he rejoined New England this winter.
The aforementioned industrial featured Agudelo and fellow would-be younger weapons Teal Bunbury (now an Agudelo teammate in New England after a collection of accidents) and Brek Shea, who additionally went on to have a short-lived keep at Stoke and is now again in MLS with Orlando. On the time, they appeared like the way forward for American soccer.
“Yeah, we’ve been through a lot, the three of us,” stated Shea, who has recast himself as a left again. “Teal with his injuries and Juan and me with our… experiences in England. We’ve all learned a lot since then.”
Agudelo agrees. “Yeah, we talk about it,” he said. “We’ve definitely been through a lot.”
He appears to take satisfaction in having earned this recall with a strong displaying in his second stint with the Revolution. “I feel like I’ve gotten off to a good start with my club and it’s good to get recognized for that,” he stated.
New England dropped its first two video games however is unbeaten in 4 straight and with nationwide workforce stalwart Jermaine Jones recovered from surgical procedure and making his season debut final week, the Revs seem poised to stay as much as their preseason favourite standing. “We’re putting things together,” Agudelo stated. ”We didn’t have the beginning we needed however we’ve a number of expertise and we’re getting wholesome, getting Jermaine again so issues ought to go higher. It’s a extremely good group to be part of.”
As for the Mexico sport, Agudelo’s standing is unknown however he’s hopeful to have an opportunity to play alongside the Los Angeles Galaxy’s Gyasi Zardes, who debuted with the U.S. earlier this yr.
“I haven’t played with him or against him and watched him and he opens up a lot of space with his speed,” Agudelo stated.
With a lot of the common forwards out due to damage, suspension, or European membership obligations, Agudelo is definitely the second-most skilled ahead in camp (after Chris Wondolowski) regardless of solely having three caps the previous three-plus years.
“I definitely know I’ve been out of the pool for a while, and I want to do my best,” Agudelo stated. “If it goes well, it goes well. And if it doesn’t, hopefully I get another shot down the line.”
