I’ll be the first to admit that hearing Herculez Gomez was brought into the Seattle Sounders’ training camp this week left me asking one question: that’s the best you’ve got?
While it is only two weeks into the young MLS season, the Sounders are sitting in last place in the Western Conference, scoring only one goal and amassing numerous injuries. This, of course, also after losing Obafemi Martins (15 goals and six assists in 2015) in the offseason to China leaving an open DP slot for the Sounders. The only positive thing I have is a big thank you to the New York Red Bulls for being worse than the Sounders (zero goals for and five against in two games).
With the situation as it is, you can see why my enthusiasm is relatively low over possibly adding Gomez, a 33-year old who spent just one season with Toronto FC in 2015 and scored only one goal in seven appearances.
But after some thought, maybe Sigi Schmid and the front room are looking to the future by signing a 33-year-old. Yeah, you read that right, I believe signing a veteran is the Sounders’ way to build for the future.
The Sounders currently have two big name veteran forwards (Clint Dempsey and Nelson Valdez), but the important players for the future are the other forwards on the roster and their youth. Starting with Dempsey and Valdez is Jordan Morris, age 21, and the remaining forwards on the roster include Oalex Anderson, age 20, Darwin Jones, age 23, Victor Mansaray, age 19. See a pattern? Youth.
That brings me to my original question: that’s the best you got? Maybe he won’t bring goals or assists. He probably wouldn’t even be relied upon to make too many appearances except for necessary situations resulting from international play with the numerous tournaments this summer or maybe, more pertinent to this particular Sounders team, injuries. But what you get with Gomez is something that won’t show up in a box score. Experience.
Gomez has spent numerous years in MLS with the aforementioned Toronto most recently, as well as Sporting Kansas City, Colorado Rapids, and the LA Galaxy. His MLS career boasts 131 games, 24 goals, and 13 assists. Outside of his time in MLS, he also spent 2010-2015 in Liga MX with current CCL competitors Santos Laguna and Tigres, among others. Also worth noting are his six goals in 24 caps for the USMNT.
Maybe, just maybe, Hercules Gomez can teach the young Sounders’ forwards a few of the tricks he has picked up in his long and successful career.
Main Photo: LUIS LICONA/AFP/Getty Images
