Superstar ! Quavas Kirk. 8/26/05 - U.S. Under-17 midfielder Quavas Kirk is always smiling. No, really, ALL the time. One of the top players on the team, Kirk was ready to lead the U-17s into the qualifying tournament last April until a broken foot sidelined him from making the trip to Costa Rica. Was he depressed? Yes. Sad? Yes. Disappointed? Yes. Frowning? No. Despite his own misfortune, Kirk knew he needed to stay positive in the hopes it would rub off on his teammates who were now saddled with the job of qualifying without his services. It worked and now, due to the help of his teammates, he is going to his first World Championship. Yep, you guessed it, he’s grinning from ear to ear.
On a hot streak. In the zone. On fire. En fuego.Call it what you want, Quavas Kirk was all of the above during the early part of this year. The lanky U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team midfielder with the gazelle-like pace was putting on a clinic every time he stepped on the field. The Los Angles Galaxy had just drafted him and through the first 18 games of 2005 with the U-17s, Kirk compiled 14 goals and five assists. He had as many goals as starts, a statistic helped by the fact he registered three multi-goal games, which included one hat trick and two two-goal performances.
If there ever was a good time to peak, the first third of the year was the time. The U-17s were two weeks from kicking off the CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament in Costa Rica and playing their final tune-up match, an international against Haiti on April 3 in Hialeah, Fla. The team’s first international match of the year, Kirk had the chance to prove his impressive scoring rate wasn’t a fluke and that he could continue it on the world stage.
Done and done. A “no-he-didn’t” header and another finish into the upper right corner in the 82nd minute to finish off Haiti 4-0, solidified that the Aurora, Ill., product wasn’t just “in the zone,” “on fire” or “en fuego.” Rather, he was just reaffirming the reason he was one of the most highly touted players brought into U.S. Soccer’s Residency Program in the fall of 2003: he’s just darn good.
With just two minutes left against Haiti, everything was set for the U.S. to cruise into Costa Rica, win three games and continue the streak as the only country to qualify for every World Championship at this age level. And then, “CRACK!”
“I don’t really know how it happened,” said Kirk, shaking his head as if he’s still can’t believe he was injured for the past four months. “I think I just turned (with the ball) and when I turned the guy clipped me on the back of my heel, crunching down on it like an accordion. I heard the crack. It wasn’t pleasant.”
The cracking noise was Kirk’s fifth metatarsal on his left foot breaking, which instantly put the guy everyone in Residency looked up to in a cast and crutches, and immediately put questions into his teammates’ minds. Kirk was steadfast in his belief his injury wouldn’t affect what they had been working towards for two years. He went to practice everyday, even if it took him twice as long to get there on his crutches, and continued to lead from the sidelines.
“(Getting injured) was definitely devastating,” said Kirk. “It’s something you don’t want to go through, but I tried to take it the right way. I tried to make it so my injury wasn’t a burden. I didn’t sit around and mope, and was always happy about everything. I talked to players individually and tried to get guys relaxed so they weren’t so tense when they went out there.”
“Even without me, I knew we were going to take a good team to qualifying. It didn’t worry me at all. I knew we were going to qualify.”
He was right. The U.S. won Group A with a dramatic 2-1 victory against host Costa Rica in their third and final match and booked their spot in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, which kicks off on September 16 in Peru.
“It was just relief because it just felt like that game went on for hours,” said Kirk, who followed the match on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker in Bradenton with the younger Residency players. “We were all huddled around this projector screen, waiting silently for the next play and then the next play. It was so stressful. When they finally blew the final whistle we just went crazy. Everybody just started jumping around.”
Kirk acknowledges that his teammates gave him the chance to play in his first World Championship and he’s looking to pay them back by returning to the form he had in the beginning of the year.
“Before the injury, I guess something just clicked,” said Kirk. “All the stress and everything from the draft all just stopped after I was chosen by L.A., and I was able to concentrate more on playing. I had more fun playing compared to before when I’d get a lot more frustrated.”
Kirk believes the stress from rehabbing is also gone as he’s almost back to 100 percent, even playing 90 minutes (he was expected to only be able to go 25 at most) in his first game back against Uruguay during the U-17s trip to Brazil in mid-July.
“I did a lot of different things in my rehab to make sure I’d get back before the World Championship,” said Kirk. “I’m not exactly back to where I was before the injury, but I think I’ll get there before we leave. I’ll definitely be putting the ball in the back of the net in Peru.”
name: Quavas Kirk
position: F
height: 6-1 weight:165
Birthdate: April 13, 1988
Hometown: Aurora, IL
last club: Chicago Magic
U-17 Caps/Goals: 25/7
U.S. National Teams: Since joining U.S. Soccer’s Residency Program with the U-17 ’88 MNT in September 2004, Kirk has been one of the team’s most productive forwards … Has been compared to a young Eddie Johnson when the MNT forward was going through the Residency Program … U.S. Under-17s: Considered the best player on the U-17 squad … One of the hardest working players on the field, he has a never-say-die attitude for the entire 90 minutes … Was recently drafted by the L.A. Galaxy in the 2005 SuperDraft … 2005: Was on an hot streak during the beginning of the year, scoring 16 goals and five assists in 15 games … His production was suddenly halted when he broke his foot late in the team’s match against Haiti in early April … The injury forced Kirk to miss the 2005 CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament … Has bounced back quicker than expected from the injury and has once again found his form, scoring two goals against China in a World Championship preparation match … 2004: Was one of the leading scorers on the team with 11 goals … Played in 39 games, starting 37 … Played and started in 17 international matches, notching three goals and one assist … 2003: Along with two other players, led the team in appearances with 19 and was second on the team with 16 starts … Led the team in scoring with 29 points … Leading goal scorer during the year with 11 strikes … Second on the team in assists with seven … Scored his first with U-17s on Sept. 15 against the Manatee Magic U-18 … Scored first multi-goal game with two strikes against West Pines U-19 on Nov. 16 … 2004: Tied for the team lead in appearances and starts with 31 … Leads team with 24 points with team high 10 goals … Second on the team with four assists … Second on the team with three international goals … Had tying goal in 1-1 draw with Italy in opening goal of Montaigu Vendee Tournament in Montaigu, France on April 7 … Scored winning goal in 2-1 victory over Peru in opening match of Copa Telefonica Tournament in Piura, Peru.
High School/Club: Went to West Aurora High School for one year … The team lost in Regionals … He got the chance to play with his brother, Colin, during his freshman year … Played for the York United soccer club before moving to Chicago and joining the Chicago Magic soccer club … Has played with the Magic since U-11 and during that time has won state four times.
Personal: Full name is Quavas Alan Kirk … Was born in York, Pa., before moving to Aurora, Ill. … Parents names are Sylvan and Julia … Has two brothers, Colin (19) and Bryson (25), who both played soccer … Sister Isha (29) did not play soccer, but was a cheerleader … His dad is from Trinidad & Tobago and taught him and his brothers the game … His parents met in York … Enjoys playing video games, especially Tekken … Didn’t play other sports growing up and likes to watch unique sports such as ping-pong and lacrosse … Calls being drafted the Galaxy the best soccer moment of his career …. His favorite player is Eddie Johnson … Likes all types of music … Names his parents as his role models … Nickname is Q.
Source:ussoccer.com
