On This Day in 1998, the Winger Scored Three Goals in an 11-Goal Thriller in His Last MLS Match Before the World Cup
On a warm spring evening at the Rose Bowl on May 6, 1998, Cobi Jones experienced what could only be described as the perfect day in a soccer player's career—scoring a hat-trick for his club and being named to his country's World Cup squad in the same 24-hour span.
Jones arrived at the stadium that Wednesday with an extra spring in his step, having learned earlier in the day that U.S. National Team coach Steve Sampson had selected him as one of the 20 players named to represent the United States at the upcoming World Cup in France. It validated Jones' growing stature in American soccer, and the dreadlocked midfielder was determined to prove the selection justified in his final appearance for the Galaxy before departing for national team camp.
The Colorado Rapids would become unwitting witnesses to Jones' celebration. From the opening whistle, the 27-year-old attacked with purpose, his trademark speed and newfound tactical sophistication on full display before the 12,013 fans. What followed was nothing short of a masterclass.
Jones struck not once, not twice, but three times, recording his first MLS hat-trick in a wild 7-4 victory that extended the Galaxy's perfect start to an 8-0 record. Each goal showcased a different dimension of his evolving game—no longer just a speedster on the wing, but a complete attacking threat with vision and finishing ability to match his pace. His first was a superb right-footed finish in the 24th minute off a low cross from Wélton. Jones scored again three minutes later when his initial shot was denied by Paul Grafer and the forward was quickest to react to the rebound, lobbing it just under the crossbar. Leading 3-2 at halftime, Jones doubled the Galaxy's lead again in the 53rd minute when his strike from the top of the box deflected into the corner.
"Cobi is playing with an enormous amount of confidence right now," observed Sampson, who had come to the Rose Bowl specifically to watch Jones and Colorado's Marcelo Balboa, another World Cup selection. "He's playing with a lot more fluidity and rhythm in his game than I've ever seen."
The match became a bittersweet affair when Galaxy captain Dan Calichman suffered a broken right leg after a challenge from Balboa early in the second half. But even that sobering moment couldn't completely overshadow Jones' brilliance on a night when Los Angeles set a team record for goals scored in a single match.
For Jones, the hat-trick pushed his season total to a league-leading eight goals—remarkable for a player who had scored just 14 in his previous 54 Galaxy appearances. Combined with seven assists, he had established himself as the clear MVP frontrunner seven weeks into the MLS season.
"If the World Cup began today, he'd be one of my first 11," Sampson would later say. "I think he's in the best form of his career.... He's a much more sophisticated player, less predictable."
The timing of Jones's breakthrough couldn't have been more perfect. After years of nonstop soccer that had left him burned out and questioning his passion for the game just a year prior, a six-week break following World Cup qualification had rejuvenated him. The fun had returned to his game, which showed in his performances.
"It was rejuvenating," Jones would later reflect on his break. "And the fun came back."
As Jones prepared to depart for the U.S. camp in Chula Vista the following Monday, he left behind a Galaxy team that had grown dependent on his contributions. "We don't want to lose him," lamented the injured Calichman. "Obviously, it's fantastic for Cobi, but it hurts the team quite a bit. He's playing the best soccer of his career."
Galaxy coach Octavio Zambrano, whose attacking philosophy had helped unlock Jones' goalscoring potential, was equally effusive: "Cobi, with the right environment and with the right players around him, can be unstoppable. He's the type of player who can change a game, and you can't say that about many players in this league."
The hat-trick against Colorado represented more than just three goals in a regular-season game—it was the culmination of Jones' transformation from a one-dimensional speed merchant to a complete player ready to make his mark on the world stage. Jones had given himself the perfect early present with his 28th birthday approaching on June 16, just one day after the Americans' World Cup opener against Germany in Paris.
For a player whose previous World Cup experiences had been with a "wet-behind-the-ears" 1990 squad and the more respectable 1994 team that played on home soil, Jones embodied the growing maturity and ambition of American soccer. His confidence was sky-high as he prepared to join 12 other veterans from the 1994 squad in France.
"I think we've got a very good chance," Jones said of the upcoming World Cup challenge. "I know a lot of people are probably counting us out... but why not shoot for the stars if you're going to shoot?"
Coming from the man who had just reached for the stars and grabbed them, those words carried the weight of experience—and the promise of even greater achievements to come.
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