Luis Aquilino Gonzalez (born July 14, 1980) is an American soccer coach and former player who is currently the assistant coach of the United States national team. He is set to join the San Jose Earthquakes as head coach following the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Youth and college

Gonzalez was born in

Hialeah Hialeah ( ; ) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. With a population of 223,109 as of the 2020 census, Hialeah is the sixth-largest city in Florida. It is the second largest city by population in the Miami metropolitan area, whi ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, to a Peruvian father and an American mother. Gonzalez represented the United States U17s at the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship making 3 appearances in their group stage exit. He played four years of

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 K ...

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , ...

, emerging in 2001, his senior season, to win the Hermann Trophy as college soccer's best player. He had 128 points during his career, including 48 goals and 32 assists.

Playing career

Upon graduating, Gonzalez was drafted 6th overall in the

2002 MLS SuperDraft The 2002 Major League Soccer SuperDraft was held on February 10, 2002 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. One month earlier, MLS had contracted two clubs: Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion. In conjunction with the contraction, the league conducted bo ...

by the San Jose Earthquakes. Gonzalez failed to make a mark with the Earthquakes, however, playing only 47 minutes in his rookie season. In the offseason he was acquired by the

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 ...

and made the roster, but could not agree to a deal. He left the United States for Sweden, where he signed with second-division club Bodens BK. Gonzalez scored 8 goals and had 4 assists in his first season in Europe; along with Leighton O'Brien, Gonzalez was one of the most respected players in the squad. He left Boden in late October 2003. Gonzalez joined Peruvian Sporting Cristal, where he was acquired to be a backup striker. Gonzalez appeared in the prestigious Copa Libertadores tournament, playing against the likes of Boca Juniors during his time. Gonzalez came back to MLS in 2005. He signed with the

Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, lat ...

, but following the 2006 season he was waived. He signed for

Miami FC The Miami FC is an American professional soccer team based in Miami, Florida that competes in the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. The club began play in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the 2016 se ...

in 2007.

Coaching career

In December 2018, Gonzalez was named Head Coach of

FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). The franchise began play in 1996 as a charter club of the le ...

in MLS, earning a promotion from his academy director role. Gonzalez has adopted a style of play dubbed 'Luchi Ball' by fans, emphasizing possession and counter-pressing. Gonzalez coached Dallas to playoff appearances in 2019 and 2020. On September 19, 2021, he was fired by FC Dallas after a low 6-11-9 record even with the help of one of the greatest strikers in the league

Ricardo Pepi Ricardo Daniel Pepi (born January 9, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Eredivisie club FC Groningen, on loan from FC Augsburg, and the United States national team. Early life Pepi was born in El Paso, ...

. On December 4, 2021, Gonzalez was appointed assistant coach of the

United States men's national soccer team The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF. The U.S. team h ...

. On August 17, 2022, it was announced that Gonzalez would take over as head coach of the San Jose Earthquakes prior to the start of the 2023 Major League Soccer season. He would officially join the club following the conclusion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Coaching statistics

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Luchi 1980 births Living people Sportspeople from Miami-Dade County, Florida Soccer players from Florida American soccer players American soccer coaches United States men's youth international soccer players American sportspeople of Peruvian descent Colorado Rapids players Sporting Cristal footballers San Jose Earthquakes players Miami FC (2006) players Minnesota Thunder players Bodens BK players USL First Division players SMU Mustangs men's soccer players Major League Soccer players San Jose Earthquakes draft picks FC Dallas non-playing staff Hermann Trophy men's winners All-American men's college soccer players American expatriate soccer players Association football forwards FC Dallas coaches Expatriate footballers in Sweden Expatriate footballers in Peru American expatriate sportspeople in Sweden American expatriate sportspeople in Peru People from Hialeah, Florida

Youth and college

Playing career

Coaching career

Coaching statistics

See also

References