Jan Goossens

Jan Goossens (born December 18, 1958) is a former Dutch soccer player and coach. He played for clubs from the Netherlands and Canada, but spend most of his career in the United States of America. Jan Goossens played 612 official matches and scored a total of 474 goals during his career

Jan Goossens
Personal information
Date of birth (1958-12-18) 18 December 1958
Place of birth Velp, Netherlands
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Gelria
1976–1977 N.E.C.
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1979 N.E.C. 13 (0)
1979–1982 Edmonton Drillers 139 (92)
1979 → Heracles 15 (7)
1982–1984 Golden Bay Earthquakes 96 (64)
1984–1986 Minnesota Strikers 93 (71)
1986–1991 Kansas City Comets 227 (221)
1991–1992 Dallas Sidekicks 29 (19)
Total 612 (474)
Teams managed
1999–2002 s.c. Veluwezoom
2004–2008 Gazelle Nieuwland
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Youth

Jan Goossens was born and raised in the Dutch village Velp, Gelderland, where he played his youth soccer at the local soccer team Gelria. At the age of 18 he started playing for the professional soccer team N.E.C. from Nijmegen.

N.E.C.

On October 16, 1977 Jan Goossens made his debut on the first squad of N.E.C. in a home match against F.C. Twente. Goossens played 13 matches for N.E.C., but unfortunately never scored. Almost a year after his debut, Jan Goossens played his last match for N.E.C. against F.C. Den Haag on October 25, 1978.

Edmonton Drillers

In the beginning of 1979 Jan Goossens moved from N.E.C. to the Edmonton Drillers of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League, where Hans Kraay Sr. was the head coach at that time. Goossens wasn't the only Dutch soccer player that moved to the Edmonton Drillers that year. Also Henk ten Cate, Dwight Lodeweges and Hans Kraay Jr. moved to the Edmonton Drillers in 1979-1980. In the 1980–81 season Jan Goossens won the NASL Indoor competition with the Edmonton Drillers. Goossens played a total of 139 matches for the Edmonton Drillers, in which he scored 92 goals. In 1982 the Edmonton Drillers folded due to financial troubles, which caused Goossens to leave for a club from the United States of America.

Heracles Almelo

From October 1979 till March 1980 Goossens was out on loan to Heracles Almelo. During this period the American competition had ended, which made it possible for Dutch soccer players to go out on loan to Dutch teams. Goossens played 15 matches for Heracles Almelo, in which he scored 7 goals. On March 2, 1980 Goossens played his last match for Heracles Almelo against F.C. Eindhoven. After that match he had to return to the Edmonton Drillers.

Golden Bay Earthquakes

In 1982 Goossens moved from the Canadian Edmonton Drillers to the American Golden Bay Earthquakes. That year, the Golden Bay Earthquakes, normally an NASL team, spent the indoor season playing in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The Earthquakes returned to the NASL for the 1983 summer season and Goossens remained with the team into the 1984 season. He was hindered by a knee injury in 1984 and was sent to the Minnesota Strikers late in the season.

Minnesota Strikers

Jan Goossens left the Golden Bay Earthquakes in 1984 for the Minnesota Strikers, but due to his knee injury he was not able to play any match the first season. The Minnesota Strikers ended the 1985-1986 MISL season as runner up, after losing the playoff final against the San Diego Sockers (4-3). Jan Goossens played a total of 93 games for the Minnesota Strikers, in which he scored 71 goals.

Kansas City Comets

In 1986 Jan Goossens left the Minnesota Strikers and moved to the Kansas City Comets, where he would play until that team folded in 1991. Goossens played three MISL playoff finals with the Kansas City Comets, but the team ended up as runner-up every time. Jan Goossens holds the Kansas City Comets all-time record for the most goals, by scoring 221 goals in 227 games. Goossens also holds the Kansas City Comets all-time record for the most assists, by giving 237 assists in 227 games. In the 1989–1990 seasons Goossens even got the MISL Pass Master Award, which was given out to the player with the most assists during the regular season.

Dallas Sidekicks

After a very successful period at the Kansas City Comets, Jan Goossens moved to the Dallas Sidekicks in 1991. His teammate David Doyle made the same move. Jan Goossens played 29 games for the Dallas Sidekicks, in which he scored 19 goals. In July 1992 with the league on verge of collapsing, Goossens announced his retirement.

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Trivia
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