LONDON — American forward Lynden Gooch clinched the EFL Trophy for Sunderland by scoring in a 1-0 victory over Tranmere in the final on Sunday.
The northeast English club had been winless in eight visits to Wembley Stadium since stunning Leeds to win the 1973 FA Cup final.
Now Sunderland is having to settle with winning the trophy for teams in the third and fourth professional leagues, having been relegated from the Premier League in 2017.
Gooch, who was born in Santa Cruz, California, signed with the Sunderland youth setup in 2012 and finally he has a trophy to celebrate.
A moment of quality proved decisive in the 57th minute when Aiden McGeady split the Tranmere defense with an incisive pass, setting up Gooch who advanced and coolly lifted the ball over goalkeeper Scott Davies.
Sunderland ended Salford’s 24-hour reign as EFL Trophy winners, since last season’s delayed final was played the day before this season’s showpiece.
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