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Cobi Jones

{{short description|American soccer player}}

{{For|the American football player|Kobe Jones}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2017}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Cobi Jones

| image = Cobi Jones (cropped).jpg

| upright = 1.2

| caption = Jones with LA Galaxy in 2007

| fullname = Cobi N'Gai Jones

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|06|16}}

| birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

| height = {{height|ft=5 |in=7}}

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = 1985–1988

| youthclubs1 = Westlake Warriors

| collegeyears1 = 1988–1991

| college1 = UCLA Bruins

| years1 = 1994–1995

| clubs1 = Coventry City

| caps1 = 24

| goals1 = 2

| years2 = 1995–1996

| clubs2 = Vasco da Gama

| caps2 = 4

| goals2 = 1

| years3 = 1996–2007

| clubs3 = LA Galaxy

| caps3 = 306

| goals3 = 70

| totalcaps = 334

| totalgoals = 73

| nationalyears1 = 1992–2004

| nationalteam1 = United States

| nationalcaps1 = 164

| nationalgoals1 = 15

| manageryears1 = 2008

| managerclubs1 = LA Galaxy (interim)

| manageryears2 = 2008–2010

| managerclubs2 = LA Galaxy (assistant)

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's soccer}}

{{Medal|Country|{{fb|USA}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|CONCACAF Gold Cup}}

{{Medal|Winner|2002 United States|}}

{{Medal|RU|1993 United States–Mexico|}}

{{Medal|RU|1998 United States|}}

{{Medal|3rd|1996 United States|}}

{{MedalCompetition|FIFA Confederations Cup}}

{{Medal|3rd|1992 Saudi Arabia|}}

{{Medal|3rd|1999 Mexico|}}

}}

Cobi N'Gai Jones (born June 16, 1970) is an American former professional soccer player and commentator. He is an analyst for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. He has also been seen on Time Warner Cable SportsNet, Fox Sports, BeIN Sports, the Pac-12 Network, and as the host of the Totally Football Show: American Edition. In addition, during the 1990s, he hosted the health show Mega-Dose on MTV.

As a player, Jones was a midfielder from 1994 until 2007, starting his career in England with Premier League club Coventry City, before playing for Brazilian side Vasco da Gama. He is one of a significant group of United States national team stars who returned from overseas to aid the then new Major League Soccer in 1996, beginning an 11-year spell with the LA Galaxy. Jones is the all-time leader in caps for the United States national team and a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Following retirement, Jones served as an assistant coach with the LA Galaxy for two seasons.

Youth

Jones grew up in Southern California. He played soccer with AYSO starting at age 5 in Westlake Village, California.{{cite web |title= AYSO Alum Cobi Jones Elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame |url= http://www.ayso.org/news/11-03-29/AYSO_Alum_Cobi_Jones_Elected_to_National_Soccer_Hall_of_Fame.aspx |publisher= American Youth Soccer Organization |access-date= September 17, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110403225340/http://www.ayso.org/news/11-03-29/AYSO_Alum_Cobi_Jones_Elected_to_National_Soccer_Hall_of_Fame.aspx |archive-date= April 3, 2011 |url-status= dead}}

After graduating from Westlake High School, Jones emerged as a talented player in college, making the UCLA soccer team as a non-scholarship player, ultimately becoming one of its most successful soccer-playing graduates. While attending UCLA, Jones was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha, an international fraternity.{{cite web |title = Re-colonization at UCLA |url = http://www.lambdachi.org/about.aspx?id=1486 |publisher = Lambda Chi Alpha |access-date = September 3, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716031658/http://www.lambdachi.org/about.aspx?id=1486

|archive-date = July 16, 2011 }}

Club career

After playing in the 1994 World Cup held in the United States, Jones signed with English team Coventry City of the Premier League, where he spent one season. Jones trained with a German club 1. FC Köln of the Bundesliga before joining Brazilian club Vasco da Gama after impressive performances with the United States national team in the 1995 Copa America.{{cite web |last1=Araújo |first1=Alexandre |last2=Braz |first2=Bruno |title=Americano veio ao Vasco 'à la Honda', jogou pouco e aprendeu palavrões |url=https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/futebol/ultimas-noticias/2020/04/16/americano-veio-ao-vasco-a-la-honda-jogou-pouco-e-aprendeu-palavroes.htm |website=UOL |access-date=7 May 2020 |language=pt}} After only a few months in Brazil, Jones signed with the new Los Angeles Galaxy franchise for Major League Soccer's inaugural season.

Jones's best year with the Galaxy came in 1998, when he was second in MLS with 51 points (19 goals and 13 assists), was named to the MLS Best XI, and was also named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year. In 2005, he became the last player in MLS to remain with his original team since 1996. Jones announced on March 19, 2007, that he would retire following the season.

International career

Jones is currently the all-time leader of the United States in appearances, with 164 caps as of the end of 2004 (scoring 15 goals). He played for the team in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 FIFA World Cups. He was named to the best XI at the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup and won with the national team at the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also represented his country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. After playing in the 1995 Copa America, he also became a popular player in Latin America because the nickname used by an Argentine commentator to call him: "Escobillón" ("swab"), due to his bleached dreadlock hairstyle and the similar pronunciation of his name, Is Cobi Jones, and the word "escobillón".

Coaching career

On November 9, 2007, Jones was announced as an assistant coach with the Galaxy under Ruud Gullit. After Gullit's resignation on August 11, 2008, Jones served as the interim head coach until the Galaxy hired Jones's former United States national team head coach Bruce Arena.

In January 2011, Jones left the Galaxy to serve as associate director of soccer with the New York Cosmos and was with the club through 2012.

Personal life

On September 12, 2009, Jones married Kim Reese. Reese, a music consultant and former music executive at New Line Cinema, met Jones in 2003 and began dating him in 2004. The couple was married at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara in Carlsbad, California.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090925024948/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20306035,00.html L.A. Galaxy Soccer Star Cobi Jones Weds] by Mark Dagostino at people.com, URL accessed October 3, 2009. March 10, 2009. They have two sons, Cayden and Cai.

On March 11, 2011, Jones was selected for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.{{cite web|url=http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Federation-Services/2011/03/Cobi-Jones-Eddie-Pope-and-Earnie-Stewart-Elected-to-National-Soccer-Hall-of-Fame-Class-of-2011.aspx |title=Cobi Jones, Eddie Pope, and Earnie Stewart Elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2011 |publisher=Ussoccer.com |access-date=December 27, 2013|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227095518/http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Federation-Services/2011/03/Cobi-Jones-Eddie-Pope-and-Earnie-Stewart-Elected-to-National-Soccer-Hall-of-Fame-Class-of-2011.aspx |archive-date=December 27, 2013}}

Jones is a part of the ownership group of Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League.{{Cite web |title=Cobi Jones |url=https://www.angelcity.com/club/ownership/cobi-jones |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=Angel City FC}}

Career statistics

=Club=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{cite web |url=http://web.mlsnet.com/history/register.jsp?content=players_j |title=Major League Soccer: History: All-Time MLS Player Register |website=web.mlsnet.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203085726/http://web.mlsnet.com/history/register.jsp?content=players_j |archive-date=3 February 2009 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://www.concacaf.com/archive.aspx |title=Concacaf |website=concacaf.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091006101534/http://www.concacaf.com/archive.aspx |archive-date=6 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}

rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|National Cup

!colspan="2"|League Cup

!colspan="2"|Continental

!colspan="2"|Total

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Coventry City

|1994–95

|Premier League

|20

|2

|

|

|1

|

|

|

|21

|2

Vasco da Gama

|1995

|Série A

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

rowspan="13"|Los Angeles Galaxy1996rowspan="12"|Major League Soccer287
199726741
19982419
19992881
200025731
2001226
2002193
20032824
2004230
2005313
2006274|2|
2007254
colspan="2"|Total

!306

70
colspan="3"|Career total

!306

70142

=International=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year{{cite web |url=https://ussoccer.app.box.com/s/s6zjk14my2i4bzx0os5j |title=Cobi JOnes – U.S. Soccer Media Guide |work=2013 USMNT Media Guide |access-date=December 23, 2013}}

National teamYearAppsGoals
rowspan="13"|United States

|1992

31
1993302
1994232
1995121
1996142
1997140
1998150
199980
2000166
2001100
2002140
200310
200441
colspan="2"|Total16415

:Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Jones goal.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Cobi Jones

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

align="center"|1October 19, 1992Riyadh, Saudi Arabia{{fb|CIV}}align="center"|2–1align="center"|5–11992 King Fahd Cup
align="center"|2March 23, 1993San Salvador, El Salvador{{fb|SLV}}align="center"|2–1align="center"|2–2Friendly
align="center"|3October 13, 1993Washington, D.C., United States{{fb|MEX}}align="center"|1–1align="center"|1–1Friendly
align="center"|4January 15, 1994Tempe, Arizona, United States{{fb|NOR}}align="center"|2–1align="center"|2–1Friendly
align="center"|5February 18, 1994Miami, Florida, United States{{fb|BOL}}align="center"|1–1align="center"|1–1Friendly
align="center"|6June 11, 1995Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States{{fb|NGA}}align="center"|3–2align="center"|3–2Friendly
align="center"|7May 26, 1996New Britain, Connecticut, United States{{fb|SCO}}align="center"|2–1align="center"|2–1Friendly
align="center"|8December 1, 1996San José, Costa Rica{{fb|CRC}}align="center"|1–2align="center"|1–2Friendly
align="center"|9January 29, 2000Coquimbo, Chile{{fb|CHI}}align="center"|2–1align="center"|2–1Friendly
align="center"|10February 12, 2000Miami, Florida, United States{{fb|HAI}}align="center"|3–0align="center"|3–02000 Gold Cup
align="center"|11February 16, 2000Miami, Florida, United States{{fb|PER}}align="center"|1–0align="center"|1–02000 Gold Cup
align="center"|12rowspan="2"|June 3, 2000rowspan="2"|Washington, D.C., United Statesrowspan="2"|{{fb|RSA}}align="center"|1–0rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|4–0rowspan="2"|2000 Nike U.S. Cup
align="center"|13align="center"|2–0
align="center"|14November 15, 2000Waterford, Barbados{{fb|BRB}}align="center"|4–0align="center"|4–02002 World Cup qualifying
align="center"|15September 8, 2004Panama City, Panama{{fb|PAN}}align="center"|1–1align="center"|1–12006 World Cup qualifying

Honors

UCLA Bruins

Los Angeles Galaxy

United States

Individual

  • MLS All-Star: 1996,[http://www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/news/article/2011/07/12/all-star-game-flashback-1996-east-wins-inaugural-event All-Star Game flashback, 1996] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228152403/http://www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/news/article/2011/07/12/all-star-game-flashback-1996-east-wins-inaugural-event |date=December 28, 2014 }} at MLSsoccer.com

1997,[https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/all-star-game-flashback-1997-valderrama-named-mvp-again All-Star Game flashback, 1997] at MLSsoccer.com 1998,{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/1998-mls-all-star-game-373141|title=1998 MLS All-Star Game|work=MLSsoccer.com|date=August 2, 1998| access-date= July 27, 2023}} 1999,{{Cite web |date=July 17, 1999 |title=1999 MLS All-Star Game |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/1999-mls-all-star-game-373142 |work=MLSsoccer.com |access-date=July 27, 2023}} 2000{{Cite web |date=July 29, 2000 |title=2000 MLS All-Star Game |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2000-mls-all-star-game-373143 |work=MLSsoccer.com |access-date=July 28, 2023}}

  • MLS Best XI: 1998
  • MLS 25 Greatest
  • MLS 50/50 Club{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/columbus-crew-scs-federico-higuain-joins-mls-50-50-club|title=Columbus Crew SC's Federico Higuain joins MLS 50-50 club | MLSSoccer.com|work=MLSsoccer.com}}
  • U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year: 1998{{cite web|title=Athlete of the Year Award |url=http://www.ussoccer.com/about/history/awards/athlete-of-the-year.aspx |publisher=US Soccer |access-date=November 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110234628/http://www.ussoccer.com/about/history/awards/athlete-of-the-year.aspx |archive-date=November 10, 2014 }}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Soccerbase}}
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20070622095225/http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/players/bio.jsp?team=t106&player=jones_c&playerId=jon165981&statType=current Cobi Jones Biography] at Los Angeles Galaxy official site {{in lang|en}} (archived)
  • [https://www.sofoot.com/cobi-jones-gagner-est-tout-aussi-important-que-bien-jouer-483003.html Cobi Jones Interview]

{{Navboxes

|bg=gold

|fg=navy

|title= Awards

|list1=

{{1998 MLS Best XI}}

{{2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup Team of the Tournament}}

{{US Soccer Athlete}}

{{Honda Player of the Year}}

{{National Soccer Hall of Fame members}}

}}

{{Navboxes

|title= United States squads

|bg= white

|fg= #002868

|bordercolor= #BF0A30

|list1=

{{United States football squad 1992 Summer Olympics}}

{{United States squad 1992 King Fahd Cup}}

{{United States squad 1993 Copa América}}

{{United States squad 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}

{{United States squad 1994 FIFA World Cup}}

{{United States squad 1995 Copa América}}

{{United States squad 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}

{{United States squad 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}

{{United States squad 1998 FIFA World Cup}}

{{United States squad 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup}}

{{United States squad 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}

{{United States squad 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}

{{United States squad 2002 FIFA World Cup}}

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{{LA Galaxy managers}}

{{Los Angeles NWSL team}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Cobi}}

Category:1970 births

Category:Living people

Category:Soccer players from Ventura County, California

Category:Soccer players from Detroit

Category:Soccer players from California

Category:African-American soccer players

Category:American men's soccer players

Category:Men's association football midfielders

Category:UCLA Bruins men's soccer players

Category:American Youth Soccer Organization players

Category:Coventry City F.C. players

Category:CR Vasco da Gama players

Category:LA Galaxy players

Category:Premier League players

Category:Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players

Category:Major League Soccer players

Category:Major League Soccer All-Stars

Category:United States men's under-23 international soccer players

Category:Olympic soccer players for the United States

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Category:Footballers at the 1992 Summer Olympics

Category:1992 King Fahd Cup players

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Category:1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup players

Category:1994 FIFA World Cup players

Category:1995 Copa América players

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Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen

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Category:20th-century American sportsmen

Category:Footballers at the 1991 Pan American Games

Category:Medalists at the 1991 Pan American Games

Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in football

Category:Westlake High School (California) alumni

Category:Angel City FC owners

Category:CONCACAF Champions Cup–winning players