Midfielder
Cobi Jones
5' 7"
Biography of retired USMNT soccer player Cobi Jones who holds the record for most USMNT appearances and now works as a commentator.
Caps: 164 | Goals: 15
The United States’ all-time leader in caps, Cobi Jones appeared in 164 games for the US National Team between 1992-2004. He is one of the most reliable offensive players the US ever had, not to mention versatile, as Jones could play as a forward and on both sides of the midfield. He was a fixture for the Los Angeles Galaxy from the founding of Major League Soccer in 1996 through its first 12 seasons, and is their all-time leading scorer.
His dreadlocks and colorful personality make Jones one of the most recognizable players in the US and one of the primary promoters of the sport in the country.
Jones retired as a player at the end of the 2007 MLS season, and almost immediately took the position of assistant coach to LA’s new team boss Ruud Gullit. He stayed on with the Galaxy as the interim head coach when Gullit left, and served as an assistant when former US National Team coach Bruce Arena was hired. In January 2011, the New York Cosmos announced Jones as their Associate Director of Soccer. That same year, Jones was elected to The National Soccer Hall of Fame.
“During the 1994 World Cup, I remember walking out to the field in my first start against Brazil. Knowing that I was facing off against Romario, Bebeto was simply amazing because I was a young kid from Southern California. The next thing you know that I’m walking out in front of 90,000 fans knowing that the whole World is watching us.” from Class of 2011: Cobi Jones
College: Attended UCLA and played from 1988 to 1991. Played with fellow US National Team members Brad Friedel, Joe-Max Moore, and Chris Henderson there, coached by future Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid.
USMNT Experience
2004
Played four games, scored one goal. Currently holds all-time cap record.
2002
Made four appearances as a substitute in the 2002 World Cup.
2002
Started seven of 14 games for the U.S. with an assist on Brian McBride's first goal in the 4-0 Gold Cup quarterfinal win over El Salvador.
2001
Started three World Cup Qualifiers and had 10 overall appearances with the national team.
2000
Led the national team in appearances, with 16, and scoring, with six goals and nine assists.
2000
Became the first player in 28 years to score in three consecutive games for the U.S. when he tallied against Chile, Haiti, and Peru.
2000
Played one of his finest games in a U.S. uniform, scoring twice against South Africa and setting up two others in a 4-0 win in Washington D.C.
2000
Set the all-time U.S. record by registering his 21st career assists.
1999
Nominated for Honda's U.S. Player of the Year award.
1999
Started seven games and was a member of the Bronze Medal-winning U.S. team at the 1999 Confederations Cup.
1998
Won both the Honda U.S. Player of the Year award and the 1998 Chevrolet U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year award after leading the team in appearances and starts in '98.
1998
Played every minute for the U.S. of the 1998 World Cup in France.
1998
Became the youngest Men's player in history to reach 100 international appearances on February 10, 1998 against Brazil in the CONCACAF Gold Cup at the age of 27.
1997
Started 10 matches for the U.S., playing 850 minutes.
1996
Played in 14 matches, starting 12 and recording two goals.
1995
Appeared in 12 games and registered one goal and four assists.
1995
Scored the game-winning goal in a 3-2 win over Nigeria in the U.S. Cup.
1994
After appearing as a substitute in the first round of the World Cup against Switzerland, Colombia, and Romania, Jones played the entire match in front of a home crowd on July 4 in a loss to Brazil.
1994
Started 19 of 23 matches, scoring two goals.
1993
Played in 30 games for the national team, with 16 starts, two goals and five assists.
1992
Played in three games for the U.S., recording a goal and two assists.
1992
Scored his first national team goal on October 9, 1992 against the Ivory Coast.
1992
Made his first national team appearance on September 3, 1992 versus Canada.
1991
Was a member of the gold medal-winning U-23 U.S. team at the 1991 Pan American Games.
Professional Experience
2007
Tallied four goals and five assists in final season for the Galaxy, playing 25 games (19 starts). Retired to become LA's assistant coach.
2006
Scored four goals and registered four assists in 27 games for the Galaxy.
2005
Won his second MLS Cup title. Made 35 appearances overall (31 starts), scoring three goals and registering eight assists.
2004
Injury-hit season early on, but game back to make 26 appearances overall (22 starts).
2003
Played and started all 30 games in the both regular season and playoffs, scoring two goals and registering eight.
2002
Helped Galaxy win their first MLS Cup, hitting his stride in the playoffs with three goals and four assists.
2001
Won US Open Cup with LA. Scored six goals and registered 13 assists in 29 games overall.
2000
Led the Galaxy in scoring for the third consecutive year, registering nine goals and eight assists in 30 games overall.
1999
Took the Galaxy to the MLS Cup Final and led team in scoring for the season with nine goals and nine assists in 34 games overall.
1998
Finished the season with a team-high 19 goals and 14 assists in 28 starts overall. Ranked second in MLS in goals, seventh in assists, and tied for first on number of hat-tricks (three).
1997
Scored seven goals and nine assists in 29 total appearances (26 starts).
1996
Led the Galaxy to the MLS Cup Final and finished the season with 18 points on seven goals and four assists in 28 appearances. Recorded first hat-trick of his career in a 4-3 loss at Tampa Bay on July 27, 1996.
1996
Played half a season for Vasco Da Gama of Brazil.
1994-95
Played a season with Coventry City of the English Premier League, scoring two goals.
