[1] After high school, Formoso attended the University of Pennsylvania where he played on the men's soccer team.
In 1976, Formoso left the university[1] and signed with the Hartford Bicentennials of the North American Soccer League (NASL).
At the end of the 1977 season, the Bicentennials relocated to Oakland, California and Formoso decided to terminate his contract to remain close to his mother.
With the collapse of the USL, Formoso moved north to play for Greek American AA in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League.
That game, a qualifier for the 1978 FIFA World Cup ended in a scoreless tie with Mexico.
Formoso's next game with the national team did not end so well when the U.S. lost 3–0 twelve days later to Mexico in Puebla.