He scored two goals and notched a brilliant assist early in qualifying play before injury wiped him out for most of 2001. Now Josh Wolff is ready to be a key World Cup weapon.
The Facts
Born: Feb. 15, 1977.
Hometown: Stone Mountain, Ga.
College: South Carolina.
Pro clubs: Chicago Fire (MLS) 1998-present. USA: 10 caps, 3 goals. Olympics: 2000. World Youth Championship: 1997.
People In My Life
Family: I think about having a meal with the people I love back in Atlanta. We just laugh and have a good time.
Friends: Spontaneous and can get goofy.
Teammates: Reliable, honest and easy to get along with.
Referees: Still improving in the U.S. They’re hard-working and they have to put up with a lot.
Fans: Supportive, energetic, and enjoy sharing time with us.
Bob Bradley: Dedicated, honest and looks out for the best interests of players and his team.
Bruce Arena: Sarcastic, at times, but very honest. He tries to get the most out of his guys.
My First …
Job: Maintenance guy at a golf course.
Car: 1994 Ford Ranger.
Cap: Sept. 8, 1999, at Jamaica (2-2). It was very high-paced and really physical play.
U.S. goal: Oct. 25, 2000, in 2-0 friendly win over Mexico.
Josh’s Favorites
Musical Artist: U2.
Actor: Mel Gibson.
Actress: Halle Berry.
Film: “Dumb and Dumber.”
Book: “Intensity” by Dean Koontz.
Food: Anything Mexican.
Drink: Gatorade.
Place to live: San Diego.
Vacation Spot: Maui.
Four historical figures you’d invite to dinner: Bill Clinton, Bono, Albert Einstein, Michael Jordan.
Hobby: Golf.
Soccer Player: Thierry Henry.
Pregame activity: Head tennis.
Postgame activity: Relax.
My View On …
Contraction: A good thing if it’s going to make the league stronger and more profitable. I hope they’re doing it with the idea of expanding later. Hopefully, it makes the league a more viable investment and raises the competition.
Foreign experience: My experiences with the national team have been very good. I want to go overseas to play at some point in my career. It’d be nice to go to the English Premier League. But I’d be happy with Spain, or something like that.
Chicago: A great atmosphere. A great city and sports town – but with very harsh winters.
Money: It would be good to have enough to pick your job when you’re done playing soccer. It would be nice to be able to choose what you want to do. But money is not the most important thing. Having a good family and being healthy come before money.
The Web: I spend about 30 minutes a day on it. I do my banking – pay bills – and keep up with soccer stuff.
Injury: Frustrating, but part of the game. You find ways to get though it.
World Cup qualifiers: Intense and exciting with passionate fans on both sides.
Scoring in qualifying: Against Mexico, the goal was a bit fortunate. It’s part of my job to be dangerous. Luckily, I was able to get past Jorge Campos.
World Cup 2002: I hope I’m there. It’s a dream. I’ll spend the next five months working to be in the right position to go. If I can go to at least one World Cup, I’ll be satisfied.
Future: Hopefully, it will be injury-free. I want to play for another eight to 10 years. Afterward, I want to sit back, have some kids, and enjoy being around my family.
by Soccer America Assistant Editor Bryan Alvarez