Brent Goulet
Encyclopedia
Brent Goulet is a retired American
soccer forward
and later coached SV Elversberg
from 2004 to 2008. He began his career in the United States
before moving to England
and Germany
, and also earned eight caps with the U.S. national team
. He was the 1987 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
and was a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1988 Summer Olympics
.
. After graduating from Henry Foss High School
in 1983, he attended Warner Pacific College
in Portland, Oregon
, which played in the NAIA
, and was coached by Bernie Fagan who had extensive professional experience at Sunderland A.F.C.
and the Portland Timbers
. Under Fagan’s direction, Goulet became the dominant offensive player on the team, scoring 108 goals over four seasons. In 1984, Warner Pacific took third in the NAIA championship tournament.
of the Western Soccer Alliance
. Despite playing as an amateur in a professional league, Goulet led the league in scoring with 9 goals and 2 assists. He played one more season with F.C. Portland in 1987, and was honored as the league MVP. The WSA season ran to the end of May. At the end of the season, Goulet joined Portland's rival F.C. Seattle
for a five game tour of Britain. That tour, which ran from July 27th to August 6th, included a game with English Second Division
club A.F.C. Bournemouth
. Goulet's excellent play on the tour, which included two goals, led to Bournemouth offering a contract.
and, in 1986, he earned his first cap
in a February 5, 1986 0-0 tie with Canada
. He played again two days later in a 1-1 tie with Uruguay
. These were the only two national team games that year.
In 1987, the U.S. began qualification for the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul, South Korea. Goulet became a regular with the U.S. Olympic team, scoring 6 goals in 6 games. While the full national team played these matches, since they are part of Olympic soccer, FIFA
did not recognize them as full internationals. Despite that, Goulet was recoginzed by USSF as its 1987 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
.
In 1988, he continued his excellent play with the Olympic team, scoring a goal in the U.S. team’s 4-2 loss to the Soviet Union at the Summer Olympics. However, in full internationals he had difficulty both finding a place and scoring. In 1988, despite playing for the national team at the Olympics, he only played one international match, a May 14 loss to Colombia
. Goulet began 1989 by playing three consecutive national team games, but did not play again until February 1990, when he played his last two games with the team. Throughout his 8 games with the full team, he never found the net.
Goulet also earned 12 caps
between 1987 and 1989 as part of the U.S. Futsal
team. He scored 4 goals.
during the 1987-1988 season, but a scoring drought led to the team loaning him to Crewe Alexandra F.C.
, for which he scored three goals in three games.
From England, Goulet bounced back to the United States, playing with the Seattle Storm
of the WSA in 1989 and 1990. In 1989, he began with a bang, scoring two hat-trick
s before suffering an ankle
injury on June 9. He returned at the end of the season and finished that year with six goals in six games. In October 1990, he signed with the Tacoma Stars of the Major Indoor Soccer League
, playing a single season before moving permanently to Europe.
, an Oberliga
club, playing two seasons, with 31 goals in 1991-1992. His prolific scoring led to a move to Tennis Borussia Berlin
. In his first season with the team, he scored 21 goals, helping the club win promotion; however, in his second season, he failed to find the net and was sent back to Bonner SC with whom he played through 1994-1995.
His itinerant existence continued the next few years as he left Bonner SC to play with Rot-Weiss Oberhausen during the 1995-1996 season, then Wuppertaler SV for two seasons.
. He would play with the team until 2001 when he broke his leg during a game. At this point, Goulet decided to retire from playing and enter the coaching career. He became an assistant coach at Elversberg and in 2004 was promoted to head coach. In March 2008, the club released Goulet.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
and later coached SV Elversberg
SV Elversberg
SpVgg 07 Elversberg Saar is a German association football club, located in Spiesen-Elversberg, Saarland.-History:The club was founded in 1907 as FC Germania Elversberg. It was dissolved in 1914, but then re-constituted in 1918 as Sportvereinigung VfB Elversberg, spending a season in the tier-one...
from 2004 to 2008. He began his career in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
before moving to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and also earned eight caps with the U.S. national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. He was the 1987 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
The U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year is given by the United States Soccer Federation to the American soccer players judged best in the calendar year. It is the longest running major American soccer award...
and was a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
.
Early career
Goulet was born in North Dakota, but grew up in Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. After graduating from Henry Foss High School
Henry Foss High School
Henry Foss High School is a high school in Tacoma, Washington. It opened in 1973. It is a part of the Tacoma Public School District. The school is named after Henry Foss, a civic leader and tugboat tycoon in Tacoma.-History:...
in 1983, he attended Warner Pacific College
Warner Pacific College
Warner Pacific College is an urban, Christian liberal arts college located in Southeast Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1937, the college is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, which played in the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
, and was coached by Bernie Fagan who had extensive professional experience at Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and the Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers (NASL)
The Portland Timbers were a team in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1982. The name has been used by two other soccer franchises: the Timbers of the WSA/APSL, Portland Timbers of the USL and the current team which began play as part of Major League Soccer in 2011.-History:In January...
. Under Fagan’s direction, Goulet became the dominant offensive player on the team, scoring 108 goals over four seasons. In 1984, Warner Pacific took third in the NAIA championship tournament.
WSL
In the 1986 offseason, Goulet played for F.C. PortlandF.C. Portland
Portland Timbers, previously known as F.C. Portland, came into existence in 1985 as an independent U.S. soccer team based in Portland, Oregon. In 1989, the team adopted the name Portland Timbers. Portland was composed of both professional and amateur players. The amateur players largely came...
of the Western Soccer Alliance
Western Soccer League
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alliance...
. Despite playing as an amateur in a professional league, Goulet led the league in scoring with 9 goals and 2 assists. He played one more season with F.C. Portland in 1987, and was honored as the league MVP. The WSA season ran to the end of May. At the end of the season, Goulet joined Portland's rival F.C. Seattle
Seattle Storm (soccer)
Football Club Seattle Storm, also known as the F.C. Seattle Storm, was an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. F.C. Seattle was a "super club" created to provide Seattle players an opportunity to play at a higher level than the local recreational and semi-pro leagues. In addition to...
for a five game tour of Britain. That tour, which ran from July 27th to August 6th, included a game with English Second Division
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
. Goulet's excellent play on the tour, which included two goals, led to Bournemouth offering a contract.
U.S. national team
Goulet’s prolific scoring ability also brought him to the attention of the United States men's national soccer teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and, in 1986, he earned his first cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
in a February 5, 1986 0-0 tie with Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
. He played again two days later in a 1-1 tie with Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
. These were the only two national team games that year.
In 1987, the U.S. began qualification for the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul, South Korea. Goulet became a regular with the U.S. Olympic team, scoring 6 goals in 6 games. While the full national team played these matches, since they are part of Olympic soccer, FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
did not recognize them as full internationals. Despite that, Goulet was recoginzed by USSF as its 1987 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
The U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year is given by the United States Soccer Federation to the American soccer players judged best in the calendar year. It is the longest running major American soccer award...
.
In 1988, he continued his excellent play with the Olympic team, scoring a goal in the U.S. team’s 4-2 loss to the Soviet Union at the Summer Olympics. However, in full internationals he had difficulty both finding a place and scoring. In 1988, despite playing for the national team at the Olympics, he only played one international match, a May 14 loss to Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
. Goulet began 1989 by playing three consecutive national team games, but did not play again until February 1990, when he played his last two games with the team. Throughout his 8 games with the full team, he never found the net.
Goulet also earned 12 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
between 1987 and 1989 as part of the U.S. Futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
team. He scored 4 goals.
England and return to the WSL
By then struggling to make a living playing professional soccer, Goulet played six games with A.F.C. BournemouthA.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
during the 1987-1988 season, but a scoring drought led to the team loaning him to Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, for which he scored three goals in three games.
From England, Goulet bounced back to the United States, playing with the Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm (soccer)
Football Club Seattle Storm, also known as the F.C. Seattle Storm, was an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. F.C. Seattle was a "super club" created to provide Seattle players an opportunity to play at a higher level than the local recreational and semi-pro leagues. In addition to...
of the WSA in 1989 and 1990. In 1989, he began with a bang, scoring two hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
s before suffering an ankle
Ankle
The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...
injury on June 9. He returned at the end of the season and finished that year with six goals in six games. In October 1990, he signed with the Tacoma Stars of the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
, playing a single season before moving permanently to Europe.
Move to Germany
Rather than trying England again, Goulet elected to move to Germany. He began with Bonner SCBonner SC
Bonner SC is a German association football club based in Bonn. The club was formed in 1965 through the merger of Bonner FV and Tura Bonn.-History:...
, an Oberliga
Oberliga (football)
The Oberliga is currently the name of the fifth tier of the German football leagues. Before the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the fourth tier...
club, playing two seasons, with 31 goals in 1991-1992. His prolific scoring led to a move to Tennis Borussia Berlin
Tennis Borussia Berlin
Tennis Borussia Berlin is a German football club based in Berlin-Westend.- History :The team was founded in 1902 and takes its name from its origins as a tennis and ping-pong club. "Borussia" is a Latinised version of Prussia. In 1903 the club took up football and quickly developed a rivalry with...
. In his first season with the team, he scored 21 goals, helping the club win promotion; however, in his second season, he failed to find the net and was sent back to Bonner SC with whom he played through 1994-1995.
His itinerant existence continued the next few years as he left Bonner SC to play with Rot-Weiss Oberhausen during the 1995-1996 season, then Wuppertaler SV for two seasons.
Coaching in Germany
In 1998, Goulet made his last move as a player when he arrived at SV ElversbergSV Elversberg
SpVgg 07 Elversberg Saar is a German association football club, located in Spiesen-Elversberg, Saarland.-History:The club was founded in 1907 as FC Germania Elversberg. It was dissolved in 1914, but then re-constituted in 1918 as Sportvereinigung VfB Elversberg, spending a season in the tier-one...
. He would play with the team until 2001 when he broke his leg during a game. At this point, Goulet decided to retire from playing and enter the coaching career. He became an assistant coach at Elversberg and in 2004 was promoted to head coach. In March 2008, the club released Goulet.