Over the entirety of the 2007 season, FC Dallas center back Clarence Goodson has clearly been his side's top defender. The fourth-year center back has started all 20 regular season games for FCD as well as both games in the U.S. Open Cup and two of three group games in SuperLiga.
But last week, besides his normal contributions as a defender, Goodson also chipped in on the attack with a pair of goals.
The first came in the 23rd minute of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal against the Charleston Battery on Tuesday. Goodson got his head on the end of a Dax McCarty corner kick to level the match at 1-1.
Then on Saturday, the lanky back delivered his first MLS regular season goal since July 27, 2005, when he and McCarty hooked up yet again on a corner as Goodson netted the game-winner in second-half stoppage time for a dramatic 3-2 win against the Columbus Crew.
"I thought he's been dangerous on set plays lately," said FCD head coach Steve Morrow. "The last few games, he has been getting his head on things and looks very dangerous. He's playing with a lot of confidence right now. His all-around game has been fantastic. I'm really, really pleased for him. He deserved the game-winner."
Before his goal on Tuesday, Goodson's last goal also came off a set piece. It was in the 92nd minute of the second leg of last fall's Western Conference Semifinals against Colorado when Goodson headed a Greg Vanney free kick past Joe Cannon to tie the game at 2-2. Had that result held up, FCD would have advanced on aggregate goals.
"It's been a real good week," Goodson said. "I have to give a lot of credit to Dax (McCarty). He's been sending some good balls in and on every single cross, has looked dangerous."
The University of Maryland product had his struggles a year ago, becoming just the fourth player in MLS history to score a pair of own goals and falling out of favor with then-FCD head coach Colin Clarke.
But Clarke was relieved of his duties in November and replaced by Morrow, and as a result Goodson knew he had a clean slate. He has played with a maturity, confidence and skill that most expected to see when FCD took him fourth overall in the 2004 SuperDraft. Even though the Hoops back line has been shaky at times in 2007, Goodson has provided some consistency and has emerged as that unit's most dependable performer.
Goodson's game-winner made him the 10th different FCD player to find the back of the net this season and also the eighth different Hoops player to have a game-winning goal. His 6-foot-4 frame provides an enticing target for set pieces -- most notably for McCarty, who leads FCD with six assists. In league play, McCarty's last three assists have come on deadball situations, two from free kicks and Saturday's corner.
"He's putting it in good spots and areas where we can just go and attack it," Goodson said. "We have guys spaced out properly and no matter where the ball goes in that six-yard area between the six-yard zone and the penalty spot, we're all over it."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
