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Gomez headed to Santos Laguna

Gomez (Reuters Pictures)

While Santos Laguna is busy trying to climb out of a one-goal deficit in the Mexican Apertura final, the club has an eye on sustaining its success during the Clausura campaign as well. A piece of that puzzle involves Herculez Gomez.

Cash-strapped Estudiantes Tecos has sold Gomez to Santos Laguna, putting the U.S. international forward on one of Mexico's top teams, Fox Soccer reported today.

It will be his fourth Mexican team in the last two years, as prior to Tecos, Gomez was with Puebla and Pachuca. Gomez scored seven goals this past season, which tied him for fourth-most in the league.

Gomez, who has remained outside of the national team picture despite his goal-scoring form, will likely get a chance to compete in the United States at least once next year, as Santos Laguna is matched up with the Seattle Sounders in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. The first leg is in Seattle on March 7.

What do you think of the move for Gomez?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. You can subtract Tigres from that list. The 2 teams that make the final each Apertura and Clausura tournament are bound to participate in the Concacaf Champions League per FIFA & Concacaf rules. They use to run into the problem that the teams would end up participating in both Central & South American competitions, there’s a bit of overlap now between late stages of CCL and early of Libertadores.

    Is not like they paid much attention to CCL anyway so I don’t know why they were getting all mad, I guess the travel and costs was getting on their bad side. But if anything they should of used it to give all their players and youth/academy players competitive matches.

    Whomever was next in the overall table for this Apertura season goes to Libertadores with Chivas who was 1st and Cruz Azul, as long as they’re not participants of the final next Clausura tournament in the Spring.
    Other wise I think it might be the top team or 2 in that Clausura table who joins Chivas

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  2. Yeah Jose is right the nature of how often players change teams is much faster.

    Players actually have very little control, and there’s less options if they let their contracts come to an end. There’s this “gentleman’s agreement that no other team will sign a player who’s contract expired with another Mexican team and it sort of kills free agency. If you think players move fast, you should look into how fast coaches are fired and hired lol

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  3. I think they recognize Herculez’ strength as a Super Sub and will use him as such.

    Oribe Peralta will be tied up with the U-23 National team for about 3 and a half to 4 weeks. Olympic Qualifying is about 2 weeks and Mexico always gets their national teams into camp for a few weeks before any major international tournament, a few months when it’s the Senior national team.

    Quintero & Peralta will be the starters, they sometimes use 3 but those will be the main guys and Herculez will most likely battle Cristian Suarez for the 1st sub off the bench. If anything Santos wants him as cover for the few weeks Peralta will be missing and he’ll be 1st off the bench for sure for that short period of time.

    Sucks that we might see him against an MLS team we root for if he stays for the 2012 Apertura next fall as well..

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  4. So is Ives gonna start covering Santos Laguna , can’t wait for him and Mike to do a live Man Love Post game shows. I wonder if Ives has a Gomez Fathead above his bed or one the ceiling.

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  5. Hope he gets some good starting minutes soon. He will figure big time if he’s involved with qualifying. Considering his only competition is Buddle right now. Altidore is de facto striker. Bunbury and Agudelo are still finding their feet.

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  6. I would agree with this post but expand it to include other players Klinsmann has snubbed so far

    His record so far is less than impressive and the only thing that doesn’t change is the fact we don’t win and the fact that he seems unwilling to look much further than his “A” list of players, that aren’t getting it done, and anywhere in the German league. With qualifying starting this summer…I am raising a yellow flag on Klinsmann

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  7. Santos qualified for next year’s CCl so they need depth. They demolished Colorado and Metapan earlier this year thanks to that good bench

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  8. He’s one of, what, 6 forwards at the club now? That seems like a lot of depth to wade in. I hope he can see the fied regularly, even if just as his super-sub self.

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  9. It’s the same situation when he came to Pachuca, and he could not play his natural position since they moved him to the wing. He didn’t play well there either but if he’s given a run of games and Santos don’t sell guys like Luduena to give him the ball, then he could be scoring goals.

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  10. Is Herc playing a pick up game with alternate versions of him self?

    25 Year Old Herc in the background
    35 Year Old Herc in the foreground

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  11. Is Santos playing Libertadores next year? That would be huge if they are and great window for Herculez to show himself internationally.

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  12. I would say yes.

    They play half seasons in Mexico, so it makes sense that there is more player movement compared to full season leagues.

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  13. Klinsmann really has no excuse not to call him in. He even said he respects the Mexican league and has shown (early in his tenure) an effort to call in guys from that league. When we are struggling mightily to score with any of our forwards, there is no reason not to bring in a goal-scoring striker who is getting bought by one of the premier clubs in Mexico.

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  14. Santos is one of favorite teams to watch from Mexico. Here’s to him keeping up his goal scoring ways and establishing himself as a starter.

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