.jpg) Gonzalez with theUnited States in 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Omar Alejandro Gonzalez[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1988-10-11)11 October 1988 (age 37) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dallas,Texas, United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Center-back | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Chicago Fire | |||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2006 | Dallas Texans | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | IMG Soccer Academy | |||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Maryland Terrapins | 69 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2015 | LA Galaxy | 180 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | →1. FC Nürnberg (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Pachuca | 59 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | →Atlas (loan) | 28 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Toronto FC | 64 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | New England Revolution | 32 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | FC Dallas | 15 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Chicago Fire | 12 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | United States U17 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | United States U18 | 3 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2019 | United States | 52 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of September 6, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of June 30, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Omar Alejandro Gonzalez (born October 11, 1988) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays as acenter-back forMajor League Soccer clubChicago Fire.
A college soccer player for theMaryland Terrapins, Gonzalez joined theLA Galaxy in the2009 MLS SuperDraft, and went on to play 180 regular-season games for them, winning theMLS Cup in 2011, 2012 and 2014. He was named theMLS Rookie of the Year in 2009 and theMLS Defender of the Year in 2011.
Gonzalez represented theUnited States at the2014 FIFA World Cup and fourCONCACAF Gold Cups, winning the2013 and2017 editions.
He scored an own goal at the match againstTrinidad and Tobago which the US lost2–1 away. This resulted in the United States failing to qualify for the2018 FIFA World Cup, the first and only time this happened since1986.
He last played for the national team in 2019.
Gonzalez played youth soccer for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club, and playedcollege soccer at theUniversity of Maryland, College Park, 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.[citation needed]
Gonzalez was drafted in the first round (3rd overall) of the2009 MLS SuperDraft by theLos Angeles Galaxy. 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.[3] He was namedMLS Rookie of the Year for helping lead the Galaxy from a last-place finish in 2008.[4]
In the2010 season, Gonzalez scored a total of three goals including in the second leg of the Conference Semifinals.[5]
In January 2012, Gonzalez was loaned to1. FC Nürnberg of theBundesliga until mid-February.[6] 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 teammateTimothy Chandler. He immediately headed back to the U.S. to undergo surgery.[7]
In August 2013, Gonzalez became Galaxy's thirdDesignated Player after signing a new multi-year contract, rumored to be an annual average of more than $1.5 million.[8] Gonzalez is the first pure center back to ever earn a Designated Player contract in Major League Soccer.[9]
On December 22, 2015, Gonzalez was sold toPachuca ofLiga MX, ending his seven-season stay with the Galaxy.[10] During their press conference with a Star Wars theme, Gonzalez was unveiled as Star Wars characterDarth Vader in presentation.[11]
Gonzalez made his league debut on January 8, 2016, in a 1–1 draw againstClub Tijuana atEstadio Caliente. In his debut, Gonzalez registered an assist toFranco Jara to tie the match in the 43rd minute. On February 7, 2016, Gonzalez scored his first goal for Pachuca late againstPumas UNAM to salvage a 1–1 draw.[12][13] Gonzalez won the Liga MX championship with Pachuca in his first season being a key player in the team's defense.[14] At the start of the Apertura 2016 Gonzalez changed jersey numbers and was given the number 4 after the loan ofHugo Isaác Rodríguez ended.
On June 3, 2019, it was announced that Gonzalez would joinToronto FC fromPachuca once the transfer market officially opened on July 9. He was signed using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).[15] He made his debut for Toronto on 14 July, against rivalsMontreal Impact.[16] He scored his first goal for the club on 29 September against theChicago Fire.[17] In December 2021, Toronto FC confirmed that Gonzalez' contract option would not be picked up for the2022 season.[18]
On December 22, 2021, Gonzalez signed with theNew England Revolution through the 2023 season.[19]
Gonzalez had a difficult start to the 2022 season for his new club. Through June 1, Gonzalez, who was primarily signed as a backup but was forced into regular service due to injuries toHenry Kessler andJon Bell, 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 fromFootball Reference.[20]
On April 9Miami'sBryce Duke beat Gonzalez to cross to strikerLeonardo Campana, who beatBrad Knighton from close range to give Miami a 3–2 lead in the 88th minute.[21]
On May 7, 2022, New England surrendered an 89th-minute equalizer toColumbus Crew after Gonzalez lost his mark on CrewwingerErik Hurtado, who steered the ball into the net at point-blank range pastMatt Turner.[22][23]
On May 28, 2022, Gonzalez' poor clearance landed at the feet ofUnionforwardMikael Uhre who equalized in the 77th minute, nullifyingGustavo Bou's 75th-minute goal. Ultimately the match ended 1–1.[24]
Gonzalez experienced a "mini-resurgence" during the 2023 season.[25] He would score his first goal for the Revolution on September 16, 2023, in the 92nd minute of the Revolution's 2–1 loss to Colorado Rapids.[26]
On August 10, 2010, Gonzalez made his senior team debut for theUnited States in afriendly againstBrazil.[27]
On March 26, 2013, Gonzalez was given the start in central defense in the United States' 0–0 draw in a World Cup qualifier againstMexico atEstadio Azteca in Mexico City. According to Jeff Carlisle ofESPN, Gonzalez "was the man of the match by a clear margin".[28]
Gonzalez was included onJurgen Klinsmann's 23-man roster for the2014 World Cup. He started in the final group match againstGermany, and the round of 16 match versusBelgium.[29]
On October 10, 2017, Gonzalez scored anown goal in the final game of the2018 World Cup qualifiers againstTrinidad and Tobago which resulted in a 2–1 loss which prevented the United States from qualifying for the2018 World Cup.[30]
Gonzalez would make his final appearance for the national team in a quarterfinal game in the2019 Gold Cup againstCuraçao.
Born in the United States, Gonzalez is ofMexican descent.[31]
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| LA Galaxy | 2009 | Major League Soccer | 30 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | 34 | 1 | |||
| 2010 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 33 | 3 | |||
| 2011 | 29 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | – | 40 | 4 | |||
| 2012 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 1 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 21 | 2 | ||||
| 2013 | 27 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | – | 34 | 2 | ||||
| 2014 | 22 | 4 | 5 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 29 | 4 | ||||
| 2015 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 32 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 180 | 12 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 2 | – | 223 | 17 | |||
| Pachuca | 2015–16 | Liga MX | 16 | 1 | 6 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | – | 40 | 0 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 14 | 0 | – | 8 | 2 | – | 3 | 0 | 25 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 59 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 88 | 3 | ||
| Atlas (loan) | 2018–19 | Liga MX | 28 | 2 | – | 8 | 0 | – | – | 36 | 2 | |||
| Toronto FC | 2019 | Major League Soccer | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2020 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||||
| 2021 | 27 | 3 | – | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 32 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 64 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 73 | 4 | ||
| New England Revolution | 2022 | Major League Soccer | 17 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | 15 | 1 | – | 2 | 0 | – | – | 17 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 32 | 1 | – | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 37 | 1 | ||||
| FC Dallas | 2024 | Major League Soccer | 15 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||
| Chicago Fire | 2025 | Major League Soccer | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 390 | 20 | 35 | 2 | 29 | 3 | 29 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 489 | 27 | ||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | July 18, 2015 | M&T Bank Stadium,Baltimore, United States |  Cuba | 4–0 | 6–0 | 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 2. | July 12, 2017 | Raymond James Stadium,Tampa, United States |  Martinique | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 3. | July 19, 2017 | Lincoln Financial Field,Philadelphia, United States |  El Salvador | 1–0 | 2–0 |
University of Maryland
LA Galaxy[35]
Pachuca[35]
United States[35]
Individual[10]
Awards | |
|---|---|
United States squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| International | |
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| National | |
