Former Seattle Sounders' Herculez Gomez Joins ESPN as Soccer Studio Analyst

Former U.S. Men's National Team player and Seattle Sounders forward Hérculez Gómez has joined ESPN as a soccer analyst - the same day he announced his retirement from professional soccer. The 17-year veteran of Mexico's Liga MX and Major League Soccer - including last season with the MLS Cup champion Sounders - will be a studio analyst on ESPN's English and Spanish-language networks.

Gómez will primarily serve as a pundit on ESPN FC, ESPN's daily soccer news, highlights and information program, as well as a studio analyst for the network's coverage of Major League Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team, and other international soccer competitions. On ESPN Deportes, he will appear on signature soccer studio programs Fuera de Juego and Futbol Picante.

Gómez will make his ESPN FC debut today on ESPNEWS at 6 p.m. ET, joining host Dan Thomas and analysts Alejandro Moreno and Shaka Hislop at "MLS Media Day" in Manhattan Beach, Calif., to discuss his career and retirement. On Jan. 29, Gomez will work his first U.S. Men's National Team match, providing studio analysis from USA vs. Serbia (4 p.m., ESPN2) in San Diego.

"We are thrilled to welcome Herc to ESPN after his world-class career and look forward to his fresh, off-the-field insight on MLS, Ligia MX, and the US Men's National team for our English-and Spanish-language shows," said Amy Rosenfeld, ESPN senior coordinating producer. "He is a tremendous addition and represents another strong voice on our soccer content team."

Gómez played his first match with the U.S. team during the 2007 Copa America. After a brief absence from the team, he earned a spot back on the 2010 FIFA World Cup roster and played three matches in South Africa. He was also part of the USMNT that won the 2013 Gold Cup. In all, Gómez scored six international goals in 24 matches with the national team.

"I am excited and tremendously honored for this opportunity to join the exceptional ESPN soccer content team. I hope to transfer the qualities that made me successful on the field to my new team and the next phase of my career," said Gomez. "My new role as a studio analyst will keep me involved in the sport I love, a sport that has provided me with so many great memories and lasting friendships."

After starting his professional soccer career in 2000 with Aguilas Blancas de Puebla, a second division club in the Mexican league, Gómez played for five MLS teams - Los Angeles Galaxy (2002-06), Colorado Rapids (2007-08), Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting Kansas City 2008-09), Toronto FC (2015) and Seattle Sounders (2016). He won three MLS titles: 2002 (Galaxy), 2005 (Galaxy) and 2016 (Sounders).

In 2010, Gómez joined Puebla FC in the Mexico Primera División where he scored 10 goals in 17 appearances - sharing Liga MX's scoring title and BECOMING the only U.S. player to lead a top-flight non-U.S. league in scoring. Gómez played for four other Mexican clubs, C.F. Pachuca (2010-11), Tecos F.C. (2011), Santos Laguna (2012-13) and Tijuana(2013-15), where he was loaned to Tigres UANL in 2014 and Puebla (2015). He won the Liga MX Clausura 2012 with Santos Laguna, BECOMING the first player to win a MLS Cup and Mexico's Primera División championship. While on loan with Puebla in 2015, Gómez led the team to a Copa MX Clausura title, and his five goals in the competition made him one of six players in Mexican league history to win the Golden Boot for a league season and a Cup competition.

Born in Los Angeles, Calif., Gómez grew up in Las Vegas. He is among a pioneering cadre of American children of Mexican-American parents who chose to represent the U.S. in international soccer.

To post a comment, you must register and login.