Juan Agudelo facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Juan Sebastian Agudelo | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | November 23, 1992 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Manizales, Colombia | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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San Antonio FC | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 17 | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| NJSA 04 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | PASCO Jr. Stallions | |||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | New York Red Bulls | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | New York Red Bulls | 33 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Chivas USA | 26 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | New England Revolution | 14 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2014 | Stoke City | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2014 | → FC Utrecht (loan) | 14 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | New England Revolution | 142 | (28) | |||||||||||||
| 2020 | Inter Miami CF | 14 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | Minnesota United FC | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Birmingham Legion | 62 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 2024– | San Antonio FC | 28 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | United States U17 | 16 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | United States U20 | 8 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | United States U23 | 2 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2018 | United States | 28 | (3) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 31, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of January 28, 2018 |
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Juan Sebastián Agudelo (born November 23, 1992) is a professional soccer player. He plays as a striker for San Antonio FC. Juan was born in Colombia. He has also played for the United States national team.
Juan moved from Colombia to New Jersey when he was young. He started his career with the New York Red Bulls. He made his first appearance in Major League Soccer in October 2010. After scoring six goals in 2011, he moved to Chivas USA in May 2012. Juan played in California for a year. Then, he joined the New England Revolution in May 2013. In January 2014, he moved to the English team Stoke City. However, he could not get a work permit for the UK. So, he was loaned to the Dutch team FC Utrecht.
Juan has also played for the United States youth teams. These include the Under-17, Under-20, and Under-23 teams. He played his first game for the senior national team on November 17, 2010. This game was against South Africa. He scored the only goal in that match.
Contents
Early Life and Soccer Start
Juan Agudelo moved with his family from Colombia to the New York area. He was seven years old at the time. He grew up playing soccer in Barnegat Township, New Jersey. Later, he moved to Kinnelon, New Jersey to live with his godmother. In 2007, he attended St. Benedict's Preparatory School for one year.
Club Soccer Career
Playing for New York Red Bulls
Juan Agudelo started his career with the New York Red Bull Academy. This academy is part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. He quickly became known as one of the most talented young players there. In 2009, he had a chance to join the junior team. But he decided to try out for the Colombian team Millonarios in 2010.
Even though some reports said he signed with Millonarios, he returned to the United States. He joined the Red Bulls for their pre-season training. While with Millonarios, Juan played with their youth team. This included a special match against Independiente Santa Fe on January 17. This game honored the famous Brazilian player Pelé.
On March 26, 2010, Juan officially joined the New York Red Bulls. He played his first professional game on April 27, 2010. This was a U.S. Open Cup game against Philadelphia Union. Juan made his MLS debut on October 9, 2010, against Real Salt Lake. He entered the game in the 85th minute. The match ended in a 0–0 tie.
He scored his first professional goal on March 19, 2011. This was in the Red Bulls' first game of the 2011 MLS season. It was a 1–0 win against Seattle Sounders FC. In October 2011, MLS ranked Juan as the second-best young player under 24.
In late 2011, Juan trained with European clubs. This was suggested by the US National team manager, Jürgen Klinsmann. On November 16, 2011, Juan began two weeks of training with VfB Stuttgart. Then, on December 1, 2011, he trained for two weeks at Liverpool.
Time with Chivas USA
Juan Agudelo was traded to Chivas USA on May 17, 2012. In return, the Red Bulls received defender Heath Pearce and some money. Juan scored four goals for Chivas in 2012. The team had a tough season and finished last in their conference. MLS listed Juan as the 13th best young player under 24 in 2012.
Juan started the 2013 season well. He scored goals against FC Dallas and Chicago Fire. On May 7, 2013, he was traded to the New England Revolution.
Joining New England Revolution
Juan Agudelo joined the New England Revolution on May 7, 2013. He made his debut for New England in a 2–0 win against Houston Dynamo. He was given credit for their second goal. He then scored against Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. After that, he was out for a month due to a knee injury.
In August 2013, the English team Stoke City showed interest in Juan. He returned from his injury on August 17. In a game against Chicago Fire, he scored an amazing back-heel goal. This goal helped his team win 2–0. His goal was even a finalist for MLS Goal of the Year. MLS ranked Juan as the 6th best young player under 24 for the 2013 season.
Move to Stoke City and Loan to FC Utrecht
On August 9, 2013, it was announced that Juan Agudelo would join the English club Stoke City. He was set to join them on January 1, 2014, after his contract with the New England Revolution ended. However, the move did not happen because he could not get a work permit.
Despite this, Stoke officially signed Juan on January 21, 2014. They immediately loaned him to the Dutch team FC Utrecht for the rest of the 2013–14 season. He scored his first goal for Utrecht on February 6, 2014. It was in a 2–1 loss against PEC Zwolle. Stoke tried again to get a work permit for Juan in May 2014, but they were not successful. After this, Juan decided to return to the United States. He felt most comfortable playing for the USMNT and the New England Revolution.
Returning to New England Revolution
On January 30, 2015, Juan Agudelo re-signed with the New England Revolution. He announced his return on Twitter, saying he was "extremely happy to officially sign minutes ago and be back with the best teammates and coaching staff #NERevs". In the 2015 MLS Cup playoffs, he scored a "stunning" bicycle kick goal against D.C. United. This gave the Revolution a 1–0 lead. In October 2015, MLS listed Juan as the 13th best young player under 24.
In the 2016 season, Juan was the top scorer for the Revolution. He scored seven goals and made five assists. He was ranked as the 17th best young player on MLS's 2016 "24 under 24" list.
He scored a career-high eight goals in the 2017 season. He was named MLS Player of the Week for week 4 after scoring two goals against Minnesota United FC.
On December 3, 2019, Toronto FC chose Juan in the MLS Re-Entry Draft. However, they could not agree on a contract.
Playing for Inter Miami
Juan Agudelo then joined Inter Miami CF. He made his debut for Miami in the club's very first game. This was a 1–0 loss to Los Angeles FC on March 1, 2020. He scored his first goal for Miami on July 8 in the MLS is Back Tournament. It was in a 2–1 loss to Orlando City SC. He scored two more goals and played in 14 games for the club in their first season. Miami decided not to renew his contract after the 2020 season.
Time with Minnesota United
On March 2, 2021, Juan Agudelo signed with Minnesota United FC. He joined as a free agent on a one-year deal. He played 13 games for the club.
Joining Birmingham Legion
On March 31, 2022, Juan signed with Birmingham Legion. This is a second-tier team in the USL Championship. He rejoined his former coaches, Tom Soehn and Jay Heaps, from his time in New England. Juan scored seven goals and made five assists in his first season in Birmingham. The club re-signed him before the 2023 season. He was named the U.S. Open Cup Lower Division Player of the Tournament for 2023. He scored three goals and made a game-winning assist. This helped the Legion reach the quarterfinals.
Current Club: San Antonio FC
Juan Agudelo moved to San Antonio FC on December 21, 2023. This USL Championship team signed him for their 2024 season.
International Career
Juan Agudelo played for the United States at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In 2010, he also played for the United States Under-20 team. On January 23, 2010, he scored the tying goal for the Under-20 team. It was in a 1–1 draw against Brazil.
On November 11, 2010, Juan was called up to the United States senior national team for the first time. This was for a match against South Africa on November 17 in Cape Town. He made his debut in that game, wearing the number 17 shirt. Juan scored the only goal of the game with a volley. It went in off the underside of the crossbar. By doing this, he became the youngest player in the national team's history to score in a senior game.
On January 22, 2011, Juan earned a penalty kick. This led to the only goal for the U.S. in a 1–1 draw against Chile. In a friendly game on March 26, 2011, he scored the tying goal in a 1–1 draw against Argentina.
Playing Style
Juan is known for his precise dribbling and excellent ball control. This often leads to him being fouled, which earns free-kicks for his team.
Personal Life
Juan Agudelo is married to Vanessa Agudelo. They have been together for 12 years. They have two daughters named Alina and Bella. His family is very important to him.
Career Statistics
Club Performance
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Playoffs | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| New York Red Bulls | 2010 | MLS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2011 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 6 | ||
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 32 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 6 | ||
| Chivas USA | 2012 | MLS | 21 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 4 |
| 2013 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | ||
| Total | 27 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 6 | ||
| New England Revolution | 2013 | MLS | 14 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 5 |
| Stoke City | 2013–14 | Premier League | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||
| FC Utrecht (loan) | 2013–14 | Eredivisie | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 |
| New England Revolution | 2015 | MLS | 32 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 8 |
| 2016 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 9 | ||
| 2017 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 8 | ||
| 2018 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 3 | ||
| 2019 | 28 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 4 | ||
| Total | 142 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 32 | ||
| Inter Miami CF | 2020 | MLS | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 |
| Minnesota United FC | 2021 | MLS | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Birmingham Legion | 2022 | USL Championship | 28 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 7 |
| Total | 28 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 274 | 56 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 308 | 61 | ||
International Performance
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | |||
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 28 | 3 | |
International Goals Scored
- Score and result list United States goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | November 17, 2010 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa |  South Africa |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | [1] |
| 2. | March 27, 2011 | New Meadowlands Stadium, East Rutherford, United States |  Argentina |
1–1 | 1–1 | [2] | |
| 3. | April 16, 2015 | Alamodome, San Antonio, United States |  Mexico |
2–0 | 2–0 | [3] |
Honors and Achievements
United States National Team
- CONCACAF Gold Cup:
- Winner: 2017
- Runner-up: 2011
See also
In Spanish: Juan Agudelo para niños
