Lynden Gooch and Sunderland have endured back-to-back relegations, but it appears the U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder isn’t likely to take a step down to the third division of English soccer.
According to Goal USA, Gooch is drawing interest from the English Championship following Sunderland’s relegation from the second division. Gooch has one year left on his contract with Sunderland as the club looks to rebuild following consecutive moves down the English ladder.
The report also states that Gooch has drawn interest from the San Jose Earthquakes. The Santa Cruz native is reportedly looking to stay in England, though, after moving to the country full time at age 16.
“All the players are in limbo, it’s kind of a waiting game now,” Gooch said. “That’s my home, it’s been my home the past six years. It’s a good place to play football, even if the past two years haven’t gone well, but hopefully we can bring the team back to where it belongs.”
“I’m committed to Europe, I want to stay in Europe as long as I can,” Gooch added. “MLS is something I’ll think about maybe a bit later, but I’m 22 years old and I really want to try and make a great career, whether it’s England or elsewhere in Europe.”
Gooch is currently with the USMNT for camp ahead of the upcoming match against Bolivia. The call-up is his second since the conclusion of World Cup qualifying as the midfielder previously joined the team against Portugal last fall.
Can’t coach speed, and this guy has it..
in 1995, guys like john harkes and eric wynalda famously returned home from europe to build mls. but the league is built now. it isn’t necessary for the new generation of young guys to come home anymore. if this new generation of guys want to stay in europe, let them. and i hope gooch finds another championship club in england to settle into. i think the fit is good for him.
I’m all for him staying in Europe as long as he can advance his career. Playing in League One won’t do it. If that is his only option there, then he is better off in MLS. BTW, if you didn’t see LAFC vs. Dortmund tonight, even given that it was a friendly and both teams played a lot of subs, I think LAFC created more chances and had the better of the play. A very entertaining game. Ended 1-1 with a late equalizer by Dortmund. It got wild at the end as Dortmund came close two other times and LAFC had 3 more great chances that they should have converted.
If he wants a decent career he needs to leave Sunderland. On a team lacking talent, I thought he was unappreciated, not playing as much as his ability would seem to warrant. He definitely needs to be at a higher level than League One. Even MLS is better than that and is maybe a little better than the Championship, certainly no worse.
I think he’d finally start every game in League One, and he is career Sunderland, but can they afford him down a division, and would he then fall off the NT radar. You can watch Championship games on ESPN streaming. He drops down a league and I don’t know where we get tape from, how much effort we make to scout.
From the League One club, no one gets scout tape off of tv anymore. Not even colleges and high schools use that anymore. If Dave Sarachan wants scout film of say Duane Holmes or Gboly Ariyibi (two Americans in League One) someone makes an inquiry to the club and they share online within minutes of the request. The new GM and Manager will oversee approximately 12 to 15 matches per year I think they have time to monitor US players in League One, especially ones who have played for the USMNT and youth squads.
Looks like a player with a eurosnob attitude. I think that it would be very good for him if he could join a good team in MLS and consistently start for them.
He is young enough to go back to Europe if he does well.
I do think some of the dual national types should consider MLS more, like Jermaine Jones did. It’s a fair point that far. However, I don’t think it’s a snob thing so much as both parents are from Europe, he was splitting time there starting age 10, and had moved back to be in Sunderland’s academy age 16. Like Johannsen or Holden before him, it’s probably basically what he knows.
It sounds like work permit-wise, he’s considered a resident of England, having lived there since age 16. AFAIK if he left to play in MLS, he would need to fulfill the work permit rule that foreign players appear in something like 75 percent of their national team’s games that year. It is possible to get a waiver, as Tim Howard was granted one when he transferred from. Metro Stars to Man.United. Maybe the rules for the Championship or lower divisions are different. Ideally, he could stay in the Championship, but if that’s not an option, he should play in Europe. He may, as a UK resident, which is still a member of the EU, not have work permit issues on the continent. IMO, MLS is the easy way out. I’m no European “fan boy”. I just think MLS is detrimental to YOUNG American players trying to improve their game. It’s where European washouts like Bradley (his time in the Eredivisie not withstanding) and Altidore (also not withstanding his time at AZ) go to cash in the big bucks. The good news is he’s still a youngster and if he’s patient, he could be a fixture on the wing for the MNT. Maybe not as a starter yet, but his type of blazing speed after the 70-75th minute when your legs start feeling heavy could have a meaningful impact.
He doesn’t need a work permit, my guess, he is the child of an Englishman and Irishwoman, and upcoming Brexit or not, either would currently get you EU citizenship. Presumably has a passport.
Neither of the players you named was objectively a Euro washout. Both had some degree of success and made a choice.
I would encourage going to Europe for players Pulisic’s age, for development purposes, as well as those older who find a place to play. I am not a fan of people going to Europe in their 20s to sit. If that is the case you might as well be in MLS. A lot of people talk up the coaching in Europe and the tournaments, but if you are sitting, so. what. I think playing time is just as important and there are plentiful examples of players like Garza and Green whose careers have been stop start, or Adu who never got going, who put a little too much ante down on Europe.
Gooch is really, really fast and has really impressed me with his technical ability…I’ve always been a little surprised he’s had a difficult time finding better teams than just Sunderland.
Dunno if it’s the bias against Americans, or just the bias against a plummeting Sunderland side. But he seems like genuine quality.
Love to see what he’s got when he has the likes of Pulisic, Adams, Nagbe, etc, around him instead of guys who are plummeting to League One.
I’d assume the hang up is sentimental. He’s been playing for a Sunderland youth or first team (at least part time) since age 10, moved back there to sign for them age 16, now 22. Imagine you’d been playing in one shape or form for the same team since you were in elementary school, you finally make the first team, and then this relegation cross-roads.
That being said, I don’t think it was his ideal destination because he wasn’t a routine starter.
This year is his peak with the team and he played in roughly 1/2 to 2/3 of the games including sub appearances. He’s 22, actually 3 years older than Pulisic. I think he’s roughly the age where players like him need to turn the corner and find the place that will play them. So I’d say another Championship team or MLS.
He has some interesting qualities but is kind of raw. Both him and Arriola (age 23) are similar ages, similarly inconsistent on crossing. Rowe (26) is another. I’m honestly more in the Saief camp since he can settle down and hit the precision ball in. But sometimes you need a runner.
Report: Rob drawing interest from zero women.