U.S. Soccer hires Oguchi Onyewu as Vice President of Sporting

U.S. Soccer has added to its sporting department, and another World Cup veteran is stepping up. Today, U.S. Soccer announced that Oguchi Onyweu will be the federation’s vice president of sporting.

The 2-time World Cup veteran will work under U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker, who was hired a couple weeks ago, in supporting all sporting initiatives. That would include the USMNT and USWNT. He will also be responsible for maintaining relationships with clubs and leagues around the world. Onyewu will also help with fundraising for youth and extended national teams.

It’s a newly created role for the 40-year-old Onyewu, who will assist Crocker with the hiring of the next USMNT coach. A member of the 2006 and 2010 World Cup teams, Gooch became the Orlando City B sporting director in 2018 after his playing days ended. He then became the secretary general of Belgian club Royal Excelsior Virton in 2020. He current is an analyst for CBS Sports and represented the Athletes’ Council on the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors. He stepped down from that role last week to take the VP of Sport position.

“We are thrilled to welcome Oguchi Onyewu to our team at U.S. Soccer,” said Matt Crocker in a statement. “His experience as a player and sports executive, coupled with his deep understanding of U.S. Soccer, Oguchi will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our sporting initiatives. We all look forward to working closely with him.”

“I am incredibly excited to take on this new challenge and work with Matt and the rest of the U.S. Soccer team to help shape the future of soccer in this country,” added Onyewu. “As a former player, I understand firsthand the importance of investing in our youth and building a strong foundation for the future. I look forward to working with the Men’s and Women’s Senior Teams, Youth National Teams and Extended National Teams to help support and grow our talented pool of players and identify and develop the next generation.”

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