FYI: he's training with the big boys. From the USSF MNT 6/5 training camp notes: GETTING READY: ...... Having scheduled an 11 v. 11 intrasquad scrimmage but short on personnel, Arena called upon the services of U.S. U-23 international defender Oguchi Onyewu, who is spending his summer break at his family's home in Maryland.......
Good lord someone put a bicyle flag on Beasley. After Gooch's weight gain he could inadvertently crush the poor kid.
Why not pro? Why didn't Gooch go pro after Clemson? He certainly would have been a gem in the MLS. I don't understand. Was he injured? Is he training with a foreign club? What's going on?
Re: Why not pro? Uh.... Gooch left Clemson after his sophomore year. He signed with a club in France called Metz. At the time he signed, they were in the first division but were soon relegated to the second but have been promoted again to the first. They are allegedly very high on him. They supposedly paid him a lot of money to sign there. This is likely why he isn't in MLS.
Re: Why not pro? Welcome NM. Gooch did go pro, but not without some difficulty. He signed with Metz in the French second division, but his contract did not take effect until after several months of legal and financial maneuverings. I'm not sure of the whole story, but it had something to do with Metz's financial situation. Anyway, around November he was finally able to play in real matches, and made a number of appearances through the rest of the season. During this time Metz secured promotion to the French top flight, so we should be seeing Gooch fighting for a starting spot in Ligue 1 next season. You should be able to find out more about him in the Yanks Abroad forum.