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Torres and Gomez deny reports of imminent MLS moves

Herculez Gomez (ISIPhotos.com) Jose Torres (ISIPhotos.com)

Pachuca teammates and U.S. World Cup team members Jose Francisco Torres and Herculez Gomez have both been linked to moves to Major League Soccer in the Mexican media in recent days, reports both players are calling false and misleading.

Both players have just arrived in Dubai for the upcoming Club World Cup and both took the time out to clarify their situations. They each told SBI that while MLS is a league they would both like to play in eventually, neither has plans to join MLS in 2011.

"I have no immediate plans on a return to MLS," Gomez told SBI. "It's the league that formed me as a professional, and I plan on returning home. Just not as fast as some people are saying."

Torres also denied reports suggesting that he's ready to make a move to MLS in a bid for more playing time now that he has seen his minutes diminish at Pachuca.

"Right now I'm concentrating on extending my international career," Torres said. "MLS is an option. Just not an immediate one."

Torres' clarification will come as disappointing news to MLS fans who were eager to see the skillful central midfielder make a move to MLS, but he has made it clear that he plans on making a move to Europe before considering a move to MLS.

The reports linking Gomez to a return to MLS ignore the fact that it has been less than a year since he left MLS for a short-term deal with Puebla, where he flourished and won a share of the Mexican Golden Boot. That successful run led to a contract with Pachuca.

Torres and Gomez are in Dubai for the Club World Cup, where they and Pachuca will face the likes of Inter Milan and Brazilian powerhouse Internacional. Pachuca opens its tournament on Friday against African champions Tout Puissant Mazembe Englebert of Congo, with the winner taking on Internacional.

Comments

  1. @SBI: Torres is a Mexican citizen, so getting the passport should be easy if not already done. That may solve any work permit issues, but whether a Spanish team wants to give up a foreign player spot for him might be more complicated.

    Notimex(Mexican news service) is reporting that Deportivo la Coruña is asking Andrés Guardado to naturalize so they can acquire another non-EU player.

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  2. Forget Malta, go make bank in QATAR. An added bonus: they seem to have abnormally good luck when it comes to world cups so maybe some will rub off on Torres

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  3. Lol. 98 percent of the players who were at the World Cup did not score a goal…my point is that Gomez was good enough to make the team.

    Casey “wear down defenders”?!?! LOL.LOL.LOL. Outside of MLS that is not happening. That’s the main reason why he did not make the World Cup roster. And I wouldn’t put too much stock into the All-Star game. After all, it is an exhibition match.

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  4. Good point. Notice the whole “someday”.

    MLS isn’t Qatar or UAE- as in just last big paycheck.

    We’re not a Argentinian/Brazilian league either-where Latin players love to play for money and prestige.

    We’re a K League/J League-as in we’re moving our way to being 1 of the best leagues out of Europe. 5, 10 Years MLS will be 1 of the best leagues outside Europe.

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  5. I’d love to see Torres in Spain or Portugal or even Malta. He would do well for any lower tabled club. Hope he does well at the Club World Cup and gets some glances.

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  6. Gomez or Casey?

    Casey scored goals in 2 Bundesliga and MLS
    Gomez scored goals in MLS and in Mexico. while in Mexico he was top scorer on a low ranked team.

    Plus Gomez nearly scored in the WC and assisted Dempsey.

    GOMEZ FTW

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  7. Oh really. A few years ago professional players didn’t say polite things to reporters about leagues they didn’t actually want to play in? Only a couple of very high profile international players (not Americans) have ever laughed off MLS…most usually say the usual “I’d love to play in America someday”

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  8. Is it true that Gomez is making millions playing in Mexico? I read that even Bornstein will be taking home 45K a month. A definite increase from his $90,000 a year in MLS

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  9. At least they were respectful to the league in their statements. A few years ago, the answer may have been “Oh hell no, I’m not going back there.”

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  10. If memory serves me correctly, Cummings and Casey both scored as many World Cup goals as Gomez– zero!

    At least Casey would wear down some defenders (like he did against Everton in the All-Star Game in 09) and if Cummings were eligible for the US he would give us the speed of Findley with an ability to actually score.

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  11. It’s time for Torres Mezzell to earn some interest abroad…This Tourney has the potential to be a great springboard for unrecognized talent. Look what it did for Efrain Juarez.

    (puts on a Tuzos jersey)

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  12. Bien gringos, keep plying your trade south of the rio grande. We need to infuse more creativity and spontaneity in our national team’s attack.

    Hopefully Benny will be joining you shortly.

    Destroy Not-all-that-powerful-at-all Mazembe Englebert!

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  13. I could definitely see Torres in La Liga. I think his game would fit pretty well there. Short passes, possession, etc. Gomez, not so much.

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  14. @ Ives, Touché on the passport issue. But I’m still willing to bet that he spends a season or 2 in MLS. He could start for just about any team in the league, which would get him far more exposure than he’s currently getting sitting on the bench in Mexico. Personally, I’d love to see him go to Brazil or Argentina.

    (SBI-I’m not saying an MLS move would be bad for him, I think he would do great in MLS. I just think he’s dead set on going to Europe before coming to MLS. That’s just how it is and if he’s going to change his mind about that I don’t see that happening in 2011.)

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  15. If memory serves me correctly, Herculez Gomez went to the World Cup. I’m pretty sure that Cummings and Casey were watching the games in a bar with the rest of us. Gomez has flourished in Mexico and it’s probably in his best interest to stay there for a bit longer.

    Torres might say that he wants to go to Europe, but I’m willing to bet that he spends a season or 2 in MLS before that happens. Without a European passport, he has to convince a team that he’s worth it…and MLS is probably the best path for him to get there. He could be a force here.

    (SBI-Actually, if Torres has a Mexican passport, which he may have by now, he can play in Spain, where Mexican players can play without meeting European passport criteria. In fact, it’s only England where the whole European passport issue is a real road block and Torres isn’t really an EPL-type player anyway.)

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  16. Wow… I can’t wait to see Gomez sitting on the bench in the MLS like he did before he went to Mexico! Okay, he was sitting behind Cummings and Casey so I guess he could play a valuable “Jeff Cunningham” type role for someone.

    I would love to see JFT playing in America so Bob Bradley would think more of him.

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