Omar Alejandro Gonzalez (born October 11, 1988) is an American professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player who plays as a
center-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
for the
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compet ...
of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
.
A college soccer player for the
Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...
, he joined the
LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...
in the
2009 MLS SuperDraft, and went on to play 180 regular-season games for them, winning the
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
in 2011, 2012 and 2014. He was named the
MLS Rookie of the Year in 2009 and the
MLS Defender of the Year Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in th ...
in 2011.
A full international since 2010, he represented the United States at the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
and four
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
s, winning the
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
and
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
edition.
Club career
Early life and college
Gonzalez played youth soccer for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club, and played
college soccer
College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Kingd ...
at the
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...
, where he won the 2008 College Cup championship, was named to the NCAA/Adidas All-American First Team and First Team All-ACC and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2007.
LA Galaxy
Gonzalez was drafted in the first round (3rd overall) of the
2009 MLS SuperDraft by the
Los Angeles Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began play ...
. Gonzalez began a regular feature in the Galaxy lineup from the start, and scored his first professional goal on April 4, 2009, against Colorado Rapids. He was named
MLS Rookie of the Year for helping lead the Galaxy from a last-place finish in 2008.
In the
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
season, Gonzalez scored a total of three goals including in the second leg of the Conference Semifinals.
In January 2012, Gonzalez was loaned to
1. FC Nürnberg of the
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
until mid-February. During his first training session with his new club, Gonzalez suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament to his left knee after a collision with national teammate
Timothy Chandler
Timothy Chandler (born March 29, 1990) is a professional Association football, soccer player who plays as a right-back for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt. Born in Germany, he represented the United States men's national soccer team, United ...
. He immediately headed back to the U.S. to undergo surgery.
In August 2013, Gonzalez became Galaxy's third
Designated Player
The Designated Player Rule, nicknamed the Beckham Rule, allows Major League Soccer franchises to sign up to three players that would be considered outside their salary cap (either by offering the player higher wages or by paying a transfer fee ...
after signing a new multi-year contract, rumored to be an annual average of more than $1.5 million. Gonzalez is the first pure center back to ever earn a Designated Player contract in Major League Soccer.
Pachuca
On December 22, 2015, Gonzalez was sold to
Pachuca
Pachuca (; ote, Nju̱nthe), formally known as Pachuca de Soto, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is located in the south-central part of the state. Pachuca de Soto is also the name of the municipality of whic ...
of
Liga MX
The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year.
The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...
, ending his seven-season stay with the Galaxy.
During their press conference with a Star Wars theme, Gonzalez was unveiled as Star Wars character
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
in presentation.
Gonzalez made his league debut on January 8, 2016, in a 1–1 draw against
Club Tijuana
Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente, commonly known as Tijuana, or simply as '' Xolos'', is a Mexican professional football club based in Tijuana. The club's badge is the founder's (Jorge Hank) hairless xoloitzcuintle, Hermoso.
Founded ...
at
Estadio Caliente
The Estadio Caliente Xoloitzcuintles is a multi-use stadium in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, that is mostly used for football matches.
The stadium hosts home matches for the football club Club Tijuana, who play in Liga MX, Mexico's top leag ...
. In his debut, Gonzalez registered an assist to
Franco Jara
Franco Daniel Jara (born 15 July 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward.
Club career
Born in Villa María, Córdoba, Jara made his professional debut with Arsenal de Sarandí, first appearing in the Primera Divi ...
to tie the match in the 43rd minute. On February 7, 2016, Gonzalez scored his first goal for Pachuca late against
Pumas UNAM
Club Universidad Nacional, A.C., commonly referred to as UNAM, is a professional football club based in Ciudad Universitaria of Mexico City, Mexico. The club competes in the Liga MX, the top division in the Mexican football league system. Fo ...
to salvage a 1–1 draw. Gonzalez won the Liga MX championship with Pachuca in his first season being a key player in the team's defense. At the start of the Apertura 2016 Gonzalez changed jersey numbers and was given the number 4 after the loan of
Hugo Isaác Rodríguez ended.
Toronto FC
On June 3, 2019, it was announced that Gonzalez would join
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BMO ...
from
Pachuca
Pachuca (; ote, Nju̱nthe), formally known as Pachuca de Soto, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is located in the south-central part of the state. Pachuca de Soto is also the name of the municipality of whic ...
once the transfer market officially opened on July 9. He was signed using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). He made his debut for Toronto on 14 July, against rivals
Montreal Impact. He scored his first goal for the club on 29 September against the
Chicago Fire. In December 2021, Toronto FC confirmed that Gonzalez' contract option would not be picked up for the
2022 season.
New England Revolution
On December 22, 2021, Gonzalez signed with the
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compet ...
through the 2023 season.
Gonzalez had a difficult start to the 2022 season for his new club. Through June 1st, Gonzalez, who was primarily signed as a backup but was forced into regular service due to injuries to
Henry Kessler and
Jon Bell
Jonathan Bell (born August 26, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer club St. Louis City SC.
Career New England Revolution II
Bell was selected with the 38th overall pick of the 2020 ...
, ranked in the bottom half of the MLS for defenders in successful pressures and blocks and in the bottom 25% for tackles, interceptions, and various other passing-out-of-the-back metrics. Gonzalez’s plus-minus was second-worst amongst center backs, and his plus-minus net was the worst amongst center backs at -1.08, according to stats from
Football Reference.
On April 9th
Miami's Bryce Duke
Bryce Michael Duke (born February 28, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club CF Montréal.
Career
Duke was born in Casa Grande, Arizona, where he initially played youth soccer for ...
beat Gonzalez to cross to striker
Leonardo Campana
Leonardo Campana Romero (born 24 July 2000) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Ecuador national team.
Club career Barcelona SC
He began his career with Barcelona S ...
, who beat
Brad Knighton
Bradley Burton Knighton (born February 6, 1985) is an American former professional soccer player.
College and amateur soccer
Knighton played four years of college soccer at UNC-Wilmington as well as for Indiana Invaders in the USL Premier Dev ...
from close range to give Miami a 3–2 lead in the 88th minute.
On May 7, 2022 New England surrendered an 89th minute equalizer to
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as one ...
after Gonzalez lost his mark on Crew
winger Erik Hurtado
Erik Hurtado (born November 15, 1990) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew.
Club career
Born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Hurtado moved with his mother to her hometown ...
, who steered the ball into the net at point-blank range past
Matt Turner.
On May 28th, 2022, Gonzalez' poor clearance landed at the feet of
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
Mikael Uhre who equalized in the 77th minute, nullifying
Gustavo Bou's 75th minute goal. Ultimately the match ended 1–1.
International career
On August 10, 2010, Gonzalez made his debut for the United States' first team in a
friendly against
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
.
On March 26, 2013, Gonzalez was given the start in central defense in the United States' 0–0 draw in a World Cup qualifier against
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
at
Estadio Azteca
Estadio Azteca () is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mexico City. It is the official home of football clubs Club América and Cruz Azul as well as the Mexico national football team. The stadium sits at an altitude of above sea level. Wit ...
in Mexico City. According to Jeff Carlisle of
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, Gonzalez "was the man of the match by a clear margin".
Gonzalez was included on
Jurgen Klinsmann's 23-man roster for the
2014 World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
, Gonzalez started in the final group match against
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, and the round of 16 match versus
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
On October 10, 2017, Gonzalez scored an
own goal
An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
in the final game of the
2018 World Cup qualifiers against
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
which resulted in a 2–1 loss which prevented the United States from qualifying for the
2018 World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
.
Personal life
Born in the United States to
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
parents, Gonzalez holds a U.S. and Mexican
citizenship
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''As of match played June 30, 2019. Scores and results list the United States's goal tally first.''
, -
, 1. , , July 18, 2015 , ,
M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the ...
,
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, United States , , , , , , , ,
2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 13th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and the 23rd CONCACAF regional championship overall in the organization's fifty-four years of existence. It was held in the United States, with two matches bein ...
, ,
, -
, 2. , , July 12, 2017 , ,
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampa, Florida that opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls college football program. The se ...
,
Tampa
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
, United States , , , , , , , , rowspan="2",
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 14th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the biennial international men's soccer championship of the North, Central American and Caribbean region organized by CONCACAF, and 24th CONCACAF regional championship ove ...
, ,
, -
, 3. , , July 19, 2017 , ,
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is an American football stadium located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It serves as the home stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) and the Temple Owls football team of Temple University. ...
,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, United States , , , , , , , ,
Honors
University of Maryland
*
NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship
The NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament, sometimes known as the College Cup, is an American intercollegiate soccer tournament conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and determines the Division I men's national champi ...
:
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
LA Galaxy
*
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
:
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
,
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
*
Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield has been annually awarded at the MLS Supporters' Summit since 19 ...
:
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
Pachuca
*
Liga MX
The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year.
The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...
:
Clausura 2016
*
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Ameri ...
:
2016–17
United States
*
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
:
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
,
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
Individual
[
* MLS Rookie of the Year: 2009
*]MLS Defender of the Year Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in th ...
: 2011
*MLS Best XI The MLS Best XI is an annual acknowledgment of the best eleven players in Major League Soccer.
Winners
*Players in bold were awarded the Landon Donovan MVP Award for that season.
Most appearances by a player
The following players have appeared ...
: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
*CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
Best XI: 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Omar
1988 births
Living people
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
American sportspeople of Mexican descent
American soccer players
American expatriate soccer players
Soccer players from Dallas
LA Galaxy players
1. FC Nürnberg players
C.F. Pachuca players
Atlas F.C. footballers
Toronto FC players
Maryland Terrapins men's soccer players
Footballers at the 2007 Pan American Games
LA Galaxy draft picks
Major League Soccer players
Major League Soccer All-Stars
Designated Players (MLS)
Liga MX players
Expatriate footballers in Germany
Expatriate footballers in Mexico
American expatriate sportspeople in Germany
American expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament Most Outstanding Player winners
United States men's youth international soccer players
United States men's international soccer players
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
2014 FIFA World Cup players
2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players
Association football defenders
All-American men's college soccer players
2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
Pan American Games competitors for the United States