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Watch: Juan Agudelo scores winner for Utrecht against Vitesse

U.S. striker Juan Agudelo scored his third goal since joining Utrecht in (Stanley Gotha/EPA/Landov) Juan Agudelo is making a strong case for inclusion in the
Liviu Bird|
Watch: Juan Agudelo scores winner for Utrecht against Vitesse
Watch: Juan Agudelo scores winner for Utrecht against Vitesse

U.S. striker Juan Agudelo scored his third goal since joining Utrecht in (Stanley Gotha/EPA/Landov)

Juan Agudelo is making a strong case for inclusion in the United States' 30-man pre-World Cup camp, scoring the winning goal in FC Utrecht's 2-1 triumph over Vitesse on Saturday.

As teammate Jacob Mulenga cut in from the right flank with the ball at his feet, Agudelo, starting as the target striker for Utrecht, made a run toward goal. Mulenga tried to beat a couple defenders on the dribble, losing his balance. He poked the ball toward the top of the six-yard box, where Agudelo pounced to tap it in.

Despite a hint of offside and the Vitesse defenders' protests, the 78th-minute goal stood. It would prove to be the winning goal.

Watch Agudelo's opportunistic finish here:


Juan Agudeloby goalsandmore

After being denied a work permit upon his transfer to Stoke City in the Premier League, Agudelo moved to Utretcht on loan to get playing time while the club attempted to resolve the issue. Manager Mark Hughes said in late April that he would reapply to get Agudelo a work permit in time for next season.

"He and I were both talking about the work permit, and I hope we're able to get one this time. That's certainly what he's focusing on," Hughes told Stoke City's website after flying to Holland to watch Agudelo play. "I saw enough in the time he spent training with us to get a real understanding of what he can offer, and I've now seen him in a league environment, and he did well in that as well."

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Liviu Bird
LIVIU BIRD

Liviu Bird is a soccer analyst with more than 20 years of experience in the game. He learned how to play in the streets of Romania before moving to the soccer wilderness of Fairbanks, Alaska, escaping to play collegiately as a goalkeeper at Highline Community College and Seattle Pacific University, where he also earned his B.A. in journalism. Bird played semiprofessionally and had tryouts at professional clubs but hung up his gloves in 2012 to focus on writing and coaching at the youth and collegiate levels. He joined Sports Illustrated in March 2013 as a freelance contributor and has also written for NBC Sports, Soccer Wire, The New York Times, American Soccer Now and the Telegraph (UK).

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