Herculez Gomez

Hérculez Gómez
Personal information
Full name Hérculez Gómez Hurtado
Date of birth (1982-04-06) April 6, 1982
Place of birth Oxnard, California, United States
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Seattle Sounders FC
Number 9
Youth career
2001–2002 Cruz Azul
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002 San Diego Gauchos 17 (17)
2002–2006 LA Galaxy 53 (16)
2003 → Seattle Sounders (loan) 17 (1)
2004 → San Diego Sockers (loan) 10 (5)
2007–2008 Colorado Rapids 37 (6)
2008–2009 Kansas City Wizards 34 (1)
2010 Puebla 15 (10)
2010–2011 Pachuca 29 (5)
2011 Estudiantes Tecos 16 (7)
2012–2013 Santos Laguna 45 (13)
2013–2015 Tijuana 21 (1)
2014 → UANL (loan) 15 (1)
2015 → Puebla (loan) 8 (1)
2015 Toronto FC 7 (1)
2016– Seattle Sounders FC 21 (0)
National team‡
2007–2013 United States 24 (6)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 23, 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of July 17, 2013

Hérculez Gómez Hurtado (born April 6, 1982) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer.

Early life

Gomez, the oldest of five children, was born in Oxnard, California[1] to Mexican-American parents.[2] He grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada,[3] and played on the soccer team at Las Vegas High School.[4]

Professional

Club career

Gomez started his career in 2001 with Cruz Azul of the México Primera División on their second-division squad, and transferred to second-division team Aguilas Blancas de Puebla later that year. The following season, he returned to the Primera División with Durango. However, playing opportunities were scarce for him there, so he left, thinking he would quit the sport, but instead he joined the San Diego Gauchos of the USL D-3 Pro League in 2002, where he excelled, scoring seventeen goals in seventeen appearances. The Los Angeles Galaxy staff noticed him during a friendly match and he joined the team in September.[5]

Gomez broke his foot while on loan to the Seattle Sounders of the United Soccer Leagues, and recovery took a long time. When he was able to play again, he joined the San Diego Sockers of the Major Indoor football League.[6] He returned to the Galaxy for the 2005 season on a developmental contract, but played well enough to make it to the first team. His big chance came when Landon Donovan was called up to the national team. Donovan's absence gave Gomez many more starts at striker, and he was able to shine as a breakout goal-scorer.[7]

He scored the game-winning goal in the 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, then helped the Galaxy to a rare Cup 'double' when they also won the 2005 MLS Cup. Gomez ended the 2005 season with eighteen goals scored for the Galaxy (in all matches), and was voted by the local L.A. media as the year's Most Valuable Player.[8]

Early in the 2006 season, Gomez was moved to the bench with then-coach Steve Sampson. Sampson used Gomez as a midfielder to see if he could score goals running at defenses. After Sampson's firing, however, Gomez scored several times under new coach Frank Yallop, and ended that season with five goals.[9]

On December 1, 2006, Gomez was traded to the Colorado Rapids along with Ugo Ihemelu in exchange for Joe Cannon.[10] He scored the first goal in the history of Dick's Sporting Goods Park in his first game for Colorado, a 2-1 win over D.C. United on April 7, 2007. Gomez tore his ACL during training with the Rapids in September of that year and was forced to undergo a lengthy recovery process.[11]

On September 3, 2008, Gomez was traded to Kansas City Wizards in exchange for allocation money, a fourth round 2009 MLS SuperDraft pick and a first round 2009 MLS Supplemental Draft pick.[12] His only goal for the Wizards was an injury time winner against San Jose Earthquakes, a must win game in their 2008 play-offs push.[13]

Gomez signed with Mexican club Puebla F.C. in January 2010.[14] He scored ten goals in the 2010 Mexican season[15] to tie for the lead for most goals; this feat marked the first time any American player led a foreign league in goals.[16]

Pachuca placed Gomez, along with its entire squad, on the transfer list.[17] During the transfer window he moved along with teammate Braulio Luna to Estudiantes Tecos.[18] Gomez scored his first goal for his new club in the second game of the Mexico Apertura season, coming in a 2-1 loss to San Luis.[19] Following this good performance, Gomez was included in the starting lineup for his side's next game against Club América at the Estadio Azteca. Gomez played the full 90 and hit the post with one shot, his side won 2-1 and gained their first points of the season.[20]

On August 19 Gomez started from the bench as his side faced former club Pachuca. Pachuca went up 1-0 in the 22nd minute but Tecos equalized in the 49th. Gomez came off the bench in the 67th minute and led his side to a 2-1 win, striking it past the onrushing goalkeeper after receiving a nice through ball.[21]

Cash-strapped Estudiantes Tecos were forced into selling Gomez to league rivals Santos Laguna, whom Gomez joined on December 10, 2011.[22] Since joining Santos Laguna, Gomez has scored 11 goals in his first 12 appearances for the team across all competitions.

With Santos Laguna's 2012 Clausura victory, Gomez became the first player to have won both the MLS Cup and the Primera División championship.[23] In 2013, he moved to Xolos de Tijuana. After struggling with Tijuana, he was loaned to Tigres UANL for the 2014-15 season.[24] On July 19, 2014, Gomez made his official debut with Tigres in a 0-0 draw against Atlas de Guadalajara at the Estadio Jalisco. On October 25, 2014, he scored his first goal with Tigres, in the 2-2 draw against arch-rival C.F. Monterrey. However he ended the season poorly with only one goal. His loan was not extended.

In August 2015, Gomez joined Toronto FC.[25]

After his release from Toronto at the beginning of the 2016 MLS season, Gomez trialled with Seattle Sounders FC and signed with the club on March 24, 2016.[26]

International

Gomez warming up before a national team match against Belgium in 2013

Gomez was named to the United States roster for the 2007 Copa America and earned his first cap as a second-half substitute against Argentina, with his first start coming against Colombia.[27]

After a lengthy absence from the national team, Gomez was named to the U.S. national team's provisional 30-man 2010 World Cup roster. He scored a goal for the U.S. national team in a 4–2 friendly defeat to the Czech Republic on May 25; the next day he was named to the 23-man roster for the 2010 World Cup.[28] Gomez played in 3 out of the 4 games for the United States at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, including the round of 16 game against Ghana.

Gomez made his return to the national team in 2012, appearing in friendlies against Scotland and Brazil and scoring a goal against the latter. Later in 2012, he scored goals against Antigua and Barbuda and Jamaica

His most recent national team appearances to date came during the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[29][30]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
01. May 25, 2010 Rentschler Field, East Hartford, United States  Czech Republic 2–2 2–4 Friendly
02. June 5, 2010 Ruimsig Stadium, Roodepoort, South Africa  Australia 3–1 3–1 Friendly
03. May 30, 2012 FedEx Field, Landover, United States  Brazil 1–2 1–4 Friendly
04. June 8, 2012 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States  Antigua and Barbuda 3–1 3–1 2014 World Cup qualification
05. September 11, 2012 Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, United States  Jamaica 1–0 1–0 2014 World Cup qualification
06. July 5, 2013 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States  Guatemala 1–0 6–0 Friendly

Career statistics

Club

As of June 5, 2014
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
USA League Cup League Cup CONCACAF Total
2003Los Angeles GalaxyMajor League Soccer1000000010
2003Seattle SoundersA-League171004000211
2005Los Angeles GalaxyMajor League Soccer22114641003018
2006305100000315
2007Colorado Rapids204110000215
2008172000000172
2008Kansas City Wizards8100100091
2009260200000280
Mexico League Cup League Cup CONCACAF Total
2009–10PueblaLiga MX15100000001510
2010–11Pachuca295000000295
2011–12Estudiantes Tecos167000000167
Santos Laguna1770000662313
2012–1333800001034311
2013–14Tijuana210000043253
2014–15UANL (loan)1507500–225
Puebla (loan)1317200–253
Canada League Cup League Cup CONCACAF Total
2015Toronto FCMajor League Soccer71–10–81
Total USA/Canada 13124871010014132
Mexico 131370000201215149
Career total 255618791201229281

International

As of December 15, 2014
National teamYearAppsGoals
United States
200720
200800
200900
201062
201100
2012113
201351
Total246

Personal

Herculez is the brother of MMA fighter Ulysses Gomez.[31] He is of Mexican-American heritage.

Honors

Club

Los Angeles Galaxy
Santos Laguna
Puebla

International

United States

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Player Bio: Herculez Gomez Archived May 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. on USSoccer.com. Personal information lists California as birthplace.
  2. ↑ "Herculez Gomez ready to give USA his best shot - USATODAY.com". Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  3. ↑ Herculez Gomez Represents What America Is All About (June 1, 2010). Huffington Post.
  4. ↑ Timeline: the improbable rise of U.S. candidate Herculez Gomez (May 24, 2010). Also notes he played for Neusport FC a youth club near Henderson, Nevada (a suburb of Las Vegas).
  5. ↑ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/luis_bueno/02/12/herculez.gomez/index.html
  6. ↑ "A road to World Cup paved with heartache". Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 11, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Buddle, Gomez named to final U.S. roster". Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Galaxy acquire goalkeeper Cannon in trade with Rapids - USATODAY.com". Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Las Vegas' Herculez Gomez makes U.S. preliminary World Cup roster". May 11, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Gomez traded from Rapids to K.C. – The Denver Post". Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ "Down the Byline: Herculez Gomez to Puebla FC". Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 24, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  16. ↑ Gomez likely to train with Chivas USA | MLSsoccer.com
  17. ↑ "Mexican team Pachuca puts entire squad up for sale - Goal.com". May 4, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  18. ↑ Epperley, Drew. "Mexican Primera Transfer Rumors: Herculez Gomez Moves To Estudiantes Tecos, DaMarcus Beasley Observes Pachuca Training". Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Mexican Apertura 2011 Round 2: Free-scoring Monterrey, Santos highlight exciting weekend - Goal.com". August 1, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  20. ↑ Gringo Report: Gomez, Tecos stun América at Azteca | MLSsoccer.com
  21. ↑ Gringo Report: Gomez scores last-minute winner for Tecos | MLSsoccer.com
  22. ↑ "Gomez headed to Santos Laguna". December 10, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Santos Laguna 2-1 Monterrey: Guerreros and Herculez Gomez hoist Clausura trophy". Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  24. ↑ American Exports: Herculez Gomez completes loan move to Tigres UANL | MLSsoccer.com
  25. ↑ "TFC signs Hérculez Gómez". Toronto FC. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  26. ↑ Seattle Sounders add veteran striker Herculez Gomez | Seattle Sounders FC
  27. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 4, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Two Strikers Score Their Way Into the Picture". The New York Times. May 17, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Klinsmann Names 23-Player Roster to Compete in 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup". USsoccer.com. U.S. Soccer. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Gold Cup: Herculez Gomez leaves US team ahead of quarterfinals". MLSsoccer.com. Major League Soccer. July 17, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  31. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
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