Guillermo Gonzalez (soccer)

Guillermo "Memo" Gonzalez (born January 4, 1986, in Paramount, California) is an American soccer player, currently without a team.

Guillermo Gonzalez
Personal information
Full name Guillermo Gonzalez
Date of birth (1986-01-04) January 4, 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth Paramount, California, United States
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
2000–2002 Irvine Strikers
2002–2003 IMG Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2006 Los Angeles Galaxy 12 (0)
International career
2003 United States U-17 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 April 2009
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2 April 2010

Career

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Professional

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Gonzalez was member of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida in 2003 (the same class as Eddie Gaven and Freddy Adu), and became one of the youngest players in MLS history when Los Angeles Galaxy drafted him as a Project-40 player with the eighth overall pick of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft at the age of 16.[1]

Guillermo spent most of his first year in the professional ranks playing with the United States U-17 national team,[2] and played at the Under-17 World Championship in Finland.

In his four years in Major League Soccer, Gonzalez did not see much playing time due to his youth team commitments, a cluttered Galaxy midfield, and his own lackluster performances in his limited appearances. During his first two seasons in MLS he played 12 games, but played none at all during his third and fourth seasons. He was waived by the Galaxy during the 2007 pre-season.

Coaching

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Since his release from the Galaxy, Gonzalez has been unable to catch on with another team, and has begun working as a youth coach. He worked for a period at Immaculate Heart High School in Los Feliz, California. He is also a head varsity coach at Bishop Amat Memorial High School in La Puente, California.

References

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  1. ^ "CNNSI.com - Soccer - US - Developmental players dominate MLS draft - Sunday January 19, 2003 01:25 PM". Archived from the original on 2008-09-05. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
  2. ^ "U.S. under-17 men: In American debut, Adu leads effort in CONCACAF qualifying". www.soccertimes.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2009-04-09.