SAN JOSE, Calif. -
At this point in his career, there’s little that Quakes defender Clarence Goodson hasn’t experienced on the pitch.
Playing at RFK stadium with the Quakes, however, is one of them.
A native of Alexandria, Va., Goodson is set to play at the venue located just 11 miles from his hometown for the first time since 2007. His friends, family and former teammates are expected to make the 15-minute drive down the Potomac River to watch him compete.
“It’s exciting. It’s where I was raised, the Virginia, D.C. area,” Goodson said. “I have a lot of ties there with a lot of friends. I tend to go back there in the offseason, but it’s nice, finally, to go back there with my team.”
Goodson attended Annadale High School his freshman and sophomore years before moving to Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School. While at Annadale, the upstart sophomore set a school record for goals and points. His success continued at W.T. Woodson as he led his school to a Virginia State High School soccer title in 2000. Goodson also boasted a memorable club career with youth powerhouse Braddock Road Warhawks after winning the 1999 U-17 National Championship.
“I played for one club and that was the Braddock Road Warhawks and there were a lot of pros on that team,” Goodson said. “David Stokes played for D.C. United, Shawn Kuykendall – rest in peace, buddy – Abe Thompson, and Kelvin Jones. There were quite a few guys that came from the D.C. area and we had a lot of good memories.”
His return to D.C. couldn’t have come at a better time. Goodson enjoyed MLS Team of the Week honors for the fourth time this season after tallying the lone goal in a 1-0 win against Colorado and served as a defensive catalyst in Wednesday's 5-0 shutout win against Sporting Kansas City.
“It's been nice to get consecutive wins and gain confidence heading into D.C., but what’s most important is that we get three points at RFK,” Goodson said. “We’re very much in the situation now that if we don’t get points, we won’t be in the playoffs. We probably need six or seven wins to make the playoffs and we have 11 games. You want to pick up points on the way and make it a little easier on yourselves.
“It’s going to take a team effort,” Goodson said. “There’s been a lot of traveling involved in this trip and a lot of miles, but by recovering well and eating well, having guys committed behind the ball and getting a goal or two, I think we’ll set ourselves up for three points.”
