U.S. Men: Cobi Jones Wins 1998 Male Athlete of the Year Award

U.S. national team and Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Cobi Joneshas been named the 1998 recipient of the Chevrolet/U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year award. The annual award, based on competing and excelling at the highest level of soccer offered by U.S. Soccer for the calendar year, was presented in Orlando, Fla. Jones earned the award for his consistency at the international and domestic level in 1998. Jones’ 15 games played and 14 games started were a team high for the USA, and helped raise his all-time cap total to 111. That total enabled him to become the youngest player in the sports world history to reach the 100-cap plateau. An amazing accomplishment for the 28-year-old star, who is as well known for his soccer exploits as he is for his “Hollywood” visibility as a frequent MTV contributor. Domestically, Jones had a breakout year in Major League Soccer, helping the Galaxy establish several MLS records while setting a few of his own on the way. As the catalyst in the Los Angeles offense, he helped the Galaxy break MLS marks in regular season record (24-8), regular season points (61) and goals scored (71). Jones himself contributed 19 goals and 13 assists, placing him second in the league in scoring (51 points) and making him one of three finalists for the 1998 MLS Most Valuable Player award. The three-time MLS All-Star also became the all-time league leader in hat tricks (4) and Player of the Week selections (7). “At the beginning of the year, I told some people privately that I was going to add leadership to my approach not only with the Galaxy, but with the national team as well,” said Jones. “Except for a little bit of a bitter taste in the way it all ended (the Galaxy losing in the semifinals and the U.S. losing three games as the World Cup), I was generally pleased with how the year turned out. You still have to look at the positives.” Criteria for the Chevrolet/U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award is broken into three categories: (a) competing at an exceptional national team level during the previous calendar year; (b) exhibiting decorum on and off the field which reflects well on U.S. Soccer; and (c) contributing toward the growth, development and popularization of soccer in the United States. Voting for the award was representative of U.S. Soccer’s general secretariat, including department heads from within the Federation’s headquarters, as well as current U.S. national team head coaches and the chairman of the national team’s committee. All-Time Chevrolet/U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year Winners