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Hrculez GomezAmerican and Mexican football player
Date of Birth: 06.04.1982
Country:  USA |
Content:
Early Life and Career
Hercules Gomez, an American-born soccer player of Mexican descent, was born into a family of Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles, California. Growing up in Las Vegas, he honed his skills in various youth teams.
Club Career
Gomez began his professional career with Cruz Azul's academy in 2001, but moved to Aguilas Blancas de Puebla in the same year. He scored 10 goals in 20 appearances for the lower-division club. The following season, he returned to the Mexican Primera Division with Durango, but failed to secure regular playing time. Subsequently, he joined the United Soccer League's San Diego Gauchos in 2003.
His performances attracted the attention of Los Angeles Galaxy scouts, and he joined the club in September 2003. However, he was immediately loaned to Seattle Sounders, where he suffered a broken leg that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Upon recovery, Gomez played briefly for the San Diego Sockers in the United States indoor soccer league before returning to Galaxy in 2005. He seized his opportunity when Landon Donovan was called up for international duty, scoring key goals and earning a starting spot. That year, he helped Galaxy win the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, scoring the only goal in the final against Dallas and finishing as the tournament's top scorer with 6 goals. Gomez's impressive 18 goals in all competitions earned him local recognition as the Most Valuable Player of the Year.
In 2006, head coach Steve Sampson's experiment of deploying Gomez as a midfielder proved unsuccessful, and he was relegated to the bench. Under new manager Frank Yallop, Gomez regained a starting role and finished the season with 5 goals.
Gomez was traded to the Colorado Rapids in December 2006. He scored a goal in his Rapids debut against D.C. United in April 2007, but a torn ligament in training in September prematurely ended his season. He was sold to Kansas City Wizards in September 2008, where he spent a year, scoring 1 goal in 34 appearances.
International Career
In 2007, Gomez received his first call-up to the United States national team for the Copa America. He made his national team debut against Argentina and played his first starting match against Colombia.
He was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. In a pre-tournament friendly against the Czech Republic in May 2010, he scored his first international goal. Gomez featured in three matches during the World Cup, against Slovenia, Algeria, and Ghana.
Gomez returned to the national team in 2012 for friendlies against Scotland and Brazil, scoring against the latter. He contributed goals in qualifying matches against Antigua and Barbuda and Jamaica for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In 2013, he helped the United States win the CONCACAF Gold Cup, playing in matches against Cuba and Costa Rica.
Retirement and Broadcasting Career
Following his departure from Toronto FC in 2016, Gomez signed with Seattle Sounders in March 2016. In January 2017, he announced his retirement from playing and joined ESPN as a soccer analyst.
