Josh Gros
Encyclopedia
Joshua Gros is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 soccer player.

Joshua Gros is currently an assistant coach with the Northern Virginia Royals
Northern Virginia Royals
Northern Virginia Royals is an American soccer team based in Woodbridge, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...

 of the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...

. On June 11, 2009, Philadelphia Union, a Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

 club that will play in 2010, hired Gros
to be its team coordinator. With Union, he will rejoin Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,...

, the team's coach. Nowak coached Gros on the 2004 MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...

-champion D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...

 team.

College

Gros played college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...

 at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

 from 2000 to 2003. As a freshman, Gros started 15 matches and led the team with 7 assists. Although he moved into a consistent starting role as a sophomore, he only registered 3 points, all on assists. Upon moving to the offensive midfield as a junior, Gros's production increased sharply and he finished the year with 6 goals and 1 assist. Gros far bettered this as a senior, finishing the year with 16 goals and 5 assists, and was named the Big East offensive player of the year. He was also chosen to National Player of the Week on 9/22/03, by College Soccer News. During his professional career, however, Gros gradually took on a more defensive role.

Professional

Gros was selected 34th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft
2004 MLS SuperDraft
The 2004 MLS SuperDraft, held in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 16, 2004, was the fifth incarnation of the annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft, and was most notable for the selection of one of the youngest athletes in American sporting history, Freddy Adu, with the first pick.-Player...

 by D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...

, and immediately impressed during preseason, earning himself a spot on the regular season lineup. Gros intended to join the Marine Corps had he not made the team. However, he did make the team, and soon his work rate earned him a surprise spot in the D.C. starting lineup. Gros seized this opportunity. His excellent, determined play made him a starter for much of the year, playing midfield on either wing or left back. He finished the year with 21 starts and 2087 minutes, in which he scored a goal and notched four assists. Gros continued to start for United throughout the 2005 and 2006 seasons. In 2006, he was named an MLS All-Star and played the entire All-Star Game
MLS All-Star 2006
The 2006 Sierra Mist Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 11th Major League Soccer All-Star Game, played on August 5, 2006, at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois between the MLS All-Stars and Chelsea...

 against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

.

In the 2007 MLS season, Gros started and played in 21 games for United, despite having suffered numerous head traumas. Following the season, he announced his retirement as a result of his accumulated head injuries.

International

Gros earned his only cap with the U.S. national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...

 in a 2-0 victory over Mexico on February 7, 2007.

Career statistics

http://web.mlsnet.com/history/register.jsp?content=players_g
|-
|2004||rowspan="4"|DC United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...

||rowspan="4"|Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

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|-
|2005||30||4||||||||||||||||
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|2006||29||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....

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110||9||||||||||||||||
110||9||||||||||||||||

D.C. United

  • Major League Soccer
    Major League Soccer
    Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

     Supporter's Shield (2):
    2006, 2007
    2007 Major League Soccer season
    The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....

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