Goossens Concentrates on Playing, Not Talking About, Game

Jan Goossens, in his 13-year professional soccer career, has played for four indoor teams, two outdoor teams, teams in Holland, and two teams that don’t even exist anymore.

He has played on championship teams, lousy teams, teams that get too much respect and teams that don’t get any.

There’s one team he has never played on, although by watching his performance in the Kansas City Comets’ 5-4 loss to the Sockers in Game 2 of the Western Division finals Wednesday night, it’s hard to figure out why.

For some reason, Goossens has never made an All-Star team.

“Simply put, that’s a damn shame,” said George Fernandez, a Socker defender who has had to play against him. “The guy is like a bull out there. When he gets the ball, you can only hope you contain him until help arrives.”

Wednesday night, even when helped arrived, it wasn’t always enough. Late in the first quarter, with the Comets trailing, 2-0, Goossens received a pass at the top of the box, with Fernandez close behind.

“I tackled him and the ball at the same time,” Fernandez said. “He was on the ground and I had help coming from another player. I thought the play was pretty much over.”

That’s not a good idea against Goossens. While on his side, Goossens reached out with his right leg and kicked the ball into the goal to cut the Sockers’ lead to 2-1.

“You can never rest against him,” Socker Fernando Clavijo said. “He keeps coming at you and he’s not going to stop until the game is over.”

Goossens scored two more goals Wednesday, but the Comets still came up a goal short.

Afterward, he was more willing to talk about the fact that the Comets had split the first two games of this series than discuss his hat trick.

But, that’s the way he is. He’s also reluctant to talk about:

--In 1981, in his first indoor season, he helped lead the Edmonton Drillers (who no longer exist) to the North American Soccer League indoor championship. The Sockers, by the way, started their run of five consecutive indoor titles the next season.

--In 1982, with Edmonton, Goossens played in only 18 games but still managed 42 goals and 18 assists.

--In 1985, he scored 49 goals for Minnesota and the next year, led the Strikers to the MISL championship series, in which the Sockers had to rally from 3-1 deficit to win their fifth title.

--In 1986, he played in 45 games at Kansas City and scored a point in all of them, finishing with 51 goals and 44 assists. The Sockers’ record for scoring in consecutive games is 28 shared by Steve Zungul and Jean Willrich. The league record is 73 by Zungul in the early 80s when game scores were routinely, 8-7.

Goossens doesn’t talk a lot, because he doesn’t really like to talk.

On the field, Goossens’ play speaks for itself.

Wednesday night, every time the Sockers tried to take control, Goossens brought Kansas City back into the game.

“We’ve come in here to San Diego and showed that we could play with them,” Goossens said. “It used to be when you played the Sockers, you just tried to stay close. But we know we can play with them now.”

Goossens’ play is a key if Kansas City has any chance of beating the Sockers. His 3 goals Wednesday gave him 10 in only 5 playoff games.

Surely, soon, someone will take notice and make room for him at All-Star time. If not, he may have to resort to becoming a bit less reserved.

Like the time in Dallas when the Comets’ rallied for a 6-5 victory in overtime and Goossens ripped off his shirt and threw it to the crowd, in a way mocking Sidekick star Tatu.

Since then, however, he has pretty much just kept his shirt buttoned up.