Hérculez Gómez, after winning one more MLS Cup, announced his retirement earlier this week to join up with ESPN as an analyst in their soccer department. Gómez is well-known to fans of MLS and Liga MX as he played for several teams over the course of his career and was also a feature in the United States men's national team over a 6 year period.
'Herc' leaves a mark on soccer in North America
'Herc' as he is fondly referred to, started his soccer playing for Cruz Azul's youth team before heading to the San Diego Gauchos after not getting the playing time he wanted at Cruz Azul and close to retiring from the sport at that point. His play at the USL team was noticed by the coaching staff at the Los Angeles Galaxy who then went on to sign the forward in 2002. Gomez then started his story with the Sounders in 2003 when he went on loan to the club but his time there was cut short after he suffered a broken foot. After working hard to come back from that injury, he was called up by the Galaxy to fill in for Landon Donovan, who had been called away from international duty. 2005 was a banner year for Gómez as he helped the Galaxy to both the MLS Cup and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with his 18 goals.
From 2006 onward, 'Herc' had a different playing role as his minutes diminished and he was traded away to the Colorado Rapids and then the Kansas City Wizards. His playing time for both teams was limited due to injuries and after a few starts here and there, 2010 saw him move to Mexico and join up with Puebla F.C. Gomez did not stay long at Puebla and moved all around the Liga MX as he continued to try and impact the teams he was on. His most productive time in Mexico came during his time at Santos Laguna where he scored 13 goals in 45 appearances. After stops at Tijuana and Toronto FC, Gómez made his way back to Seattle in 2016 where he ended the season with 21 appearances. He did not score any goals for the Sounders but his work ethic and his commitment won over both players and fans alike.
Gómez also featured for the USMNT and earned 24 caps with six goals to his name. Although he was never the star on the national team, Gómez would always contribute in any way possible when he saw time on the field and had it not been for many long breaks due to injury, could have probably appeared more often for the national team.
Gómez has no regrets as he heads into retirement
After finishing his career off with the Seattle Sounders, Gómez announced his thoughts on his retirement through the club's official press statement. The forward was grateful for the years that the game had given him and he wanted to thank every coach, teammate, and fan that helped him throughout his career. Gómez also stated that it is never easy to end a playing career but he was looking forward to joining ESPN and help continue to grow the game of soccer throughout the US and Mexico.
The Sounders also released a few words on how pivotal a role Gómez played for them during their successful 2016 run towards their first ever MLS Cup. Sounders GM and President of Soccer, Garth Lagerwey, spoke highly of Gómez, stating that his cultural role in the locker room was invaluable. Lagerwey felt that Gómez made contributions on and off the field from the minute he arrived and that his mentorship of the young players helped the Sounders during their run to the MLS Cup. Lagerwey ended his statement by saying that as Gómez was a major asset for the Sounders, he felt confident that he would be the same for ESPN on their broadcasting platforms in future.
Quotes via MLSSoccer.com