Moore Hit the Ground Running in England

On This Day in 2000, the Forward Scored in His Fifth Straight Match as Everton Rolls Past West Ham

When Joe-Max Moore signed with Everton in November 1999, he called it a dream come true. "People talk about Serie A in Italy and the Spanish League," the American forward said at the time, "but for me, it doesn't get any better than the Premier League."

Four months later, Moore is proving he belongs among England's elite.

The Oklahoma native's rise at Goodison Park has been remarkable. After arriving as an unknown quantity in December, his initial assignment of the number 23 shirt seemed to reflect his distance from the starting lineup. Moore announced himself to English football on January 15 with a dramatic injury-time equalizer against Tottenham Hotspur after coming on as a late substitute. That goal opened the floodgates, sparking an extraordinary run that has seen the American score six goals in seven matches.

When he first arrived, skeptics dubbed him "Joe-Max Less," and broadcasters, stumped by his hyphenated first name, simply called him "Max Moore." But the 29-year-old American has silenced doubters with his clinical finishing and work rate, and during that scoring stretch from mid-January to late February, Moore's goals were crucial to Everton's success, helping the Toffees secure five wins and a draw in league play.

"Am I surprised by my success?" Moore reflected. "No, not really, to be honest. I am surprised that it has happened so quickly. The opportunities I've got to score, I've finished. It's resulted in me becoming a bigger part of the team."

That scintillating scoring stretch was capped in the emphatic 4-0 victory over West Ham at Upton Park on February 26, where Moore added Everton's fourth goal in the 71st minute. After Nicky Barmby had secured his hat-trick, Moore showed his predatory instincts again, coolly slotting home after being fed through by Barmby to complete the rout.

The goal highlighted Moore's remarkable adaptation to English football, particularly impressive given his modest 5'9", 150-pound frame. "The Premiership is tough and fast," Moore acknowledged. "The toughest thing is getting an opportunity to prove yourself, but I have my confidence."

For a player who turned down the chance to stay in MLS to chase his Premier League dreams, Moore's gamble on himself is paying off handsomely. His remarkable scoring run has endeared him to the Everton faithful and cemented his place in U.S. soccer history as one of the first American-born forwards to make a significant impact in one of Europe's top leagues.

He finished the rest of the 1999-2000 with eight goals in 17 matches across all competitions and Everton finished 13th. Moore scored a brace in the 4-2 win over Watford on April 1 but came off injured before halftime in the Leicester City match a week later and missed the rest of the campaign due to injury.