View source for Clarence Goodson

{{Short description|American soccer player (born 1982)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name                = Clarence Goodson
| fullname            = Clarence Edgar Goodson IV
| image               = Clarence Goodson headshot.jpg
| caption             = Goodson in 2015
| birth_date          = {{Birth date and age|1982|5|17}}
| birth_place         = [[Alexandria, Virginia]], United States
| height              = {{height|ft=6|in=4}}
| currentclub         = 
| clubnumber          = 
| position            = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| collegeyears1       = 2000–2003
| college1            = [[Maryland Terrapins men's soccer|Maryland Terrapins]]
| years1              = 2003
| clubs1              = [[Boulder Rapids Reserve]]
| caps1               = 12
| goals1              = 1
| years2              = 2004–2007
| clubs2              = [[FC Dallas]]
| caps2               = 74
| goals2              = 3
| years3              = 2008–2010
| clubs3              = [[IK Start]]
| caps3               = 69
| goals3              = 10
| years4              = 2011–2013
| clubs4              = [[Brøndby IF|Brøndby]]
| caps4               = 60
| goals4              = 6
| years5              = 2013–2016
| clubs5              = [[San Jose Earthquakes]]
| caps5               = 49
| goals5              = 2
| totalcaps           = 264
| totalgoals          = 22
| nationalyears1      = 2008–2014
| nationalteam1       = [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]]
| nationalcaps1       = 46
| nationalgoals1      = 5
| club-update         = 
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}}
{{Medal|W|[[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]|[[2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2013]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]|[[2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2009]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]|[[2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2011]]}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football|Soccer]]}}
}}

'''Clarence Edgar Goodson IV''' (born May 17, 1982) is an American former [[Association football|soccer]] player who played as a defender.

==Youth career==
Born in [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], [[Virginia]], Goodson attended [[Annandale High School]] his freshman and sophomore seasons before moving to [[Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School]]. He was the Annandale team MVP, setting a school record for goals and points by a sophomore in 1998. He then went on to win the Virginia State High School Soccer title playing for W.T. Woodson High School in 2000. He played his club soccer with the Braddock Road Warhawks, winning the 1999 U-17 national championship. Goodson played three years of soccer at the [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]], which he joined in 2000. After [[redshirt (college sports)|redshirting]] in 2001, Goodson helped anchor the defense of one of the best teams in [[College soccer in the United States|college soccer]].{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} In his career at Maryland, Goodson played 66 games, registering 10 goals and 11 assists. In 2003, he spent the collegiate offseason with the [[Boulder Rapids Reserve]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2003 Boulder Rapids Reserve |url=http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/teams/2003/roster/22300.html |work=[[United Soccer Leagues|uslsoccer.com]] |access-date=June 17, 2011 |archive-date=July 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712222710/http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/teams/2003/roster/22300.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Club career==
After his junior year, Goodson signed a [[Project-40]] with [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS), entering the [[2004 MLS SuperDraft]] as an underclassman, where he was drafted seventh overall by the Dallas Burn. In his first year with the Burn, Goodson played only 247 league minutes in five games; however, he saw extended action in Cup competitions and exhibitions. He became a starter in 2005, the year the team was renamed [[FC Dallas]].

On November 21, 2007, Goodson was selected by the [[San Jose Earthquakes]] in the [[2007 MLS Expansion Draft]] but declared that he would not be signing a new contract with MLS in January 2008; instead, he signed a contract with the Norwegian team [[IK Start]]. He remained with Start through the 2010 season. In November 2010, Goodson signed with [[Brøndby IF|Brøndby]] of the [[Danish Superliga]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Brondby signs Clarence Goodson |url=https://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/5763677/usa-clarence-goodson-signs-3-year-deal-brondby |work=[[ESPN.com]] |agency=Associated Press |date=November 4, 2010 |access-date=June 17, 2011}}</ref>

Goodson returned to MLS on June 28, 2013, when he signed with [[San Jose Earthquakes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/2013/06/earthquakes-sign-us-national-team-defender-clarence-goodson|title=Earthquakes sign U.S. National Team defender Clarence Goodson|date=June 28, 2013|access-date=December 14, 2014|archive-date=December 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214222639/http://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/2013/06/earthquakes-sign-us-national-team-defender-clarence-goodson|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Goodson served as an elected board member for the Major League Soccer Players Association (Union) and was a critical leader to establish a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for MLS athletes.

===International===
Goodson made his international debut in a [[exhibition game|friendly]] against [[Sweden men's national football team|Sweden]] on January 19, 2008. He was a member of the U.S. squad at the [[2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup]], and scored in the semifinal against Honduras on July 23, 2009. On May 26, 2010, Goodson was selected to be part of the 23 man roster for the [[United States men's national soccer team|American national team]] at the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] in [[South Africa]].

Goodson served as an elected Union Representative for U.S. Soccer.

Goodson has been used in the rotation of Centerbacks for the U.S. Men's National Team under [[Jürgen Klinsmann]]. Goodson was named to the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]] roster for the [[2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup]] competition. He was included on Klinsmann's 30-man preliminary roster for the U.S. team at the [[2014 FIFA World Cup]], but he was not included on the final roster.<ref>[http://www.mlssoccer.com/worldcup/2014/news/article/2014/05/26/sj-earthquakes-clarence-goodson-not-pleased-usmnt-snub-its-something-i-absol "World Cup: Clarence Goodson not pleased with USMNT snub, says Jurgen Klinsmann 'unwilling' to give immediate explanation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702091539/http://www.mlssoccer.com/worldcup/2014/news/article/2014/05/26/sj-earthquakes-clarence-goodson-not-pleased-usmnt-snub-its-something-i-absol |date=July 2, 2014 }}, MLS.com, May 26, 2014.</ref>

{{Gallery |title=|width=180 | height=200 |align=center |footer=
|File:Clarence Goodson action shot.jpg | Stretching for a free kick in 2015
|File:Clarence Goodson.jpg | Warming up at Buck Shaw Stadium in 2013
|File:Clarence Goodson with ball.jpg | at Avaya Stadium in 2015
|File:Goodson Donovan South Africa 2010.jpg| Goodson signing autographs with [[Landon Donovan]] during an open training session at the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]]
}}

===International goals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-  style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
!#
!Date
!Venue
!Opponent
!Score
!Result
!Competition
|-
|1.
|July 23, 2009
|[[Soldier Field]], [[Chicago]], United States
|rowspan=2|{{fb|HON}}
|align="center"|'''1''' – 0
|align="center"|2–0
|align="center"|[[2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup#Quarter-finals|2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup]]
|-
|2.
|January 23, 2010
|[[StubHub Center|Home Depot Center]], [[Carson, California|Carson]], United States
|align="center"|'''1''' – 3
|align="center"|1–3
|align="center"|[[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|-
|3.
|June 11, 2011
|[[Raymond James Stadium]], [[Tampa]], United States
|{{fb|PAN}}
|align="center"|'''1''' – 2
|align="center"|1–2
|align="center"|[[2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup]]
|-
|4
|July 5, 2013
|[[Qualcomm Stadium]], [[San Diego, California|San Diego]], United States
|{{fb|GUA}}
|align="center"|'''5''' – 0
|align="center"|6–0
|align="center"|[[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|-
|5
|July 21, 2013
|[[M&T Bank Stadium]], [[Baltimore]], United States
|{{fb|SLV}}
|align="center"|'''1''' – 0
|align="center"|5–1
|align="center"|[[2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup]]
|}

==Retirement==
Goodson retired from professional soccer after a spinal injury in December, 2016. Goodson now works professionally as a players relations manager for [[MLSPA]]. He stays active coaching soccer in his community.

Goodson and wife Kelsey, in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, built a soccer field at his childhood school, North Springfield Elementary School. The Clarence Goodson Field is used to serve underprivileged youth in his childhood neighborhood. The "Mini-Pitch Initiative" is to create a safe space in the community to play, be coached, mentored, and learn the benefits nutrition and exercise, specifically serving U.S. Soccer Foundation Soccer youth teams for underprivileged youth. His generous contribution has inspired other current and former professional athletes to build mini-pitch's in their communities as well. The couple are licensed ministers and serve as Youth Directors in San Jose, California. Goodson is a public and motivational speaker, focusing on teams and youth development.

==Personal==
Goodson married Kelsey Dawson on January 31, 2009, in Tacoma, Washington.
The couple were featured on an episode of [[HGTV]]'s ''[[House Hunters International]]'',<ref>{{cite web |author=Person McSmith |url=http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/soccer-transfer-to-copenhagen-denmark/index.html |title=Soccer Transfer to Copenhagen, Denmark : House Hunters International : Home & Garden Television |publisher=Hgtv.com |date=October 23, 2008 |access-date=June 28, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523154156/http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/soccer-transfer-to-copenhagen-denmark/index.html |archive-date=May 23, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> searching for an apartment in [[Copenhagen]] after Goodson's transfer to [[Brøndby IF]]. He purchased an apartment valued at $900,000.

Goodson is a [[Christianity|Christian]]. Goodson participates in a weekly team [[Bible]] study.<ref>{{cite web|title=Clarence Goodson|url=http://www.beyondtheultimate.org/athlete/Clarence-Goodson|access-date=March 9, 2014|archive-date=August 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807205423/http://www.beyondtheultimate.org/athlete/Clarence-Goodson|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
{{updated|November 11, 2015}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan=2 | Season
! rowspan=2 | Club
! rowspan=2 | League
! colspan=2 | League
! colspan=2 | National cup
! colspan=2 | League cup
! colspan=2 | Continental
! colspan=2 | Total
|-
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
|-
|[[2004 Major League Soccer season|2004]]||rowspan="4"|[[FC Dallas]]||rowspan="4"|[[Major League Soccer]]||5||0||2||0||0||0||0||0||7||0
|-
|[[2005 Major League Soccer season|2005]]||29||2||0||0||2||0||0||0||31||2
|-
|[[2006 Major League Soccer season|2006]]||13||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||15||0
|-
|[[2007 Major League Soccer season|2007]]||27||1||1||1||1||1||0||0||29||3
|-
! colspan=3 | FC Dallas totals
!74||3||3||1||5||1||0||0||82||5
|-
|[[2008 Norwegian First Division|2008]]||rowspan=3|[[IK Start|Start]]||[[Norwegian First Division|First Division]]||22||4||1||0||0||0||0||0||23||4
|-
|[[2009 Tippeligaen|2009]]||rowspan=2|[[Tippeligaen]]||21||3||2||0|||0||0||0||0||23||3
|-
|[[2010 Tippeligaen|2010]]||26||3||1||0||0||0||0||0||27||3
|-
! colspan=3 | Start totals
!69||10||4||0||0||0||0||0||73||10
|-
|[[2010–11 Danish Superliga|2010–11]]||rowspan=3|[[Brøndby IF|Brøndby]]||rowspan=3|[[Danish Superliga|Superligaen]]||10||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||2
|-
|[[2011–12 Danish Superliga|2011–12]]||31||2||2||0||0||0||2||0||35||2
|-
|[[2012–13 Danish Superliga|2012–13]]||19||2||1||0||0||0||0||0||20||2
|-
! colspan=3 | Brøndby totals
!60||6||3||0||0||0||2||0||65||6
|-
|[[2013 Major League Soccer season|2013]]||rowspan="3"|[[San Jose Earthquakes]]||rowspan="3"|[[Major League Soccer]]||9||0|| || ||0||0||2||0||11||0
|-
|[[2014 Major League Soccer season|2014]]||10||0|| || ||0||0||0||0||10||0
|-
|[[2015 Major League Soccer season|2015]]||28||2|| || ||0||0||0||0||28||2
|-
! colspan=3 | San Jose totals
!47||2|| || ||0||0||2||0||49||2
|-
! colspan=3 | Career totals
!250||21||10||1||5||1||4||0||269||23
|}

==Honors==
'''United States'''
*[[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]: [[2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2013]];<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/jul/28/usa-panama-live-gold-cup-final|title= USA 1–0 Panama – as it happened|date=July 28, 2013|work=Guardian UK|access-date=July 5, 2023 }}</ref> runner-up [[2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2009]], [[2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2011]]

'''Individual'''
*[[CONCACAF Gold Cup]] All-Tournament Team: [[2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2009]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{MLS player|clarence-goodson}}
*{{NFT player|24711}}
*{{FIFA player|298712}}

{{Navboxes
| title = United States squads
| bg = white
| fg = #002868
| bordercolor = #BF0A30
| list1 =
{{United States squad 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{United States squad 2010 FIFA World Cup}}
{{United States squad 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{United States squad 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
}}
{{FCDallasFirstPick}}
{{2004 MLS SuperDraft}}
{{2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Team of the Tournament}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodson, Clarence}}
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American men's soccer players]]
[[Category:American expatriate men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Colorado Rapids U-23 players]]
[[Category:FC Dallas players]]
[[Category:IK Start players]]
[[Category:Brøndby IF players]]
[[Category:San Jose Earthquakes players]]
[[Category:Maryland Terrapins men's soccer players]]
[[Category:United States men's international soccer players]]
[[Category:2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:CONCACAF Gold Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:FC Dallas draft picks]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Norway]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Alexandria, Virginia]]
[[Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Norway]]
[[Category:USL League Two players]]
[[Category:Major League Soccer players]]
[[Category:Eliteserien players]]
[[Category:Danish Superliga players]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Annandale High School alumni]]
[[Category:Carter G. Woodson High School alumni]]