Former U.S. and Philadelphia Union defender Oguchi Onyewu retires

Gooch has called it a career.

Long-time United States Men’s National Team defender Oguchi Onyewu announced his retirement from soccer on Instagram on Monday.

He goes out having last played for the Philadelphia Union in 2017 when he appeared in 22 games after signing as a free agent in preseason.

His one season with the Union was the only in his long professional career spent in the United States, where he played two seasons of college soccer at Clemson before heading to Europe.

His lone MLS goal came against his hometown team off a corner kick from Haris Medunjanin in a 4-0 win at RFK Stadium back in May of last year.

The 36-year-old Olney, Maryland native spent 14 seasons in Europe, playing for clubs in France, Belgium, England, Italy and the Netherlands while earning 69 caps for the USMNT and participating in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

Gooch’s first appearance in Chester came in October 2010 when he started and wore the captain’s armband for the United States in a scoreless draw with Colombia.