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Herculez Gomez
Personal information
Full name	Herculez Gomez
Date of birth	April 6, 1982 (age 27)
Place of birth	Los Angeles, California, United States
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Kansas City Wizards
Number	21
Youth career
	Cruz Azul
Senior career*
National team‡
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 October, 2009.; † Appearances (Goals).; ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 April, 2009

Herculez Gomez (born April 6, 1982 in Los Angeles, California) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer.

[edit] Career

[edit] Professional

Gomez started his soccer career in 2001 with Cruz Azul of the Mexican First Division on their second-division squad, and transferred to second-division team Aguilas Blancas de Puebla later that year. The following season, he returned to first-division soccer with Durango. However, playing opportunities were scarce for him there, so he left, thinking he would quit soccer, but instead he joined the San Diego Gauchos of the USL Premier Development League in 2002, where he excelled, scoring 17 goals in 17 appearances. The Los Angeles Galaxy staff noticed him during a friendly match and he joined the team in September.

Unfortunately, he 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, Herculez joined the now-defunct San Diego Sockers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. 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.

He scored the game-winning goal in the 2005 US 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 18 goals scored for the Galaxy (in all matches), and was voted by the local L.A. media as the year's Most Valuable Player.

Early in the 2006 season, Gomez fell out of favor with then-coach Steve Sampson. Sampson used Gomez as a midfielder and then benched him altogether. After Sampson's firing, however, Gomez scored several times under new coach Frank Yallop, and ended that season with five goals.

On December 1, 2006, Gomez was traded to the Colorado Rapids along with Ugo Ihemelu in exchange for Joe Cannon. 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.

On September 3rd, 2008, Gomez was traded to Kansas City Wizards in exchange for allocation money, a 4th round 2009 MLS Superdraft pick and a 1st round 2009 MLS Supplemental Draft pick. His first goal for the Wizards was an injury time winner against San Jose Earthquakes, a must win game in their 2008 play-offs push.

[edit] International

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.

[edit] Honors

[edit] Los Angeles Galaxy

Major League Soccer MLS Cup (1): 2005

[edit] See also

List of current MLS players

[edit] External links

MLS player profile

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