To say that Herculez Gomez has seized his opportunity would be accurate, but it wouldn't quite tell the whole story.
Gomez has made the most of his chance to start for Santos Laguna after an injury to Darwin Quintero opened up a place in the club's starting lineup. With five league goals and three CONCACAF Champions League goals since Feb. 26, Gomez is enjoying one of the better runs of goalscoring form for an American anywhere.
Only Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore have had comparable goal spurts during their respective seasons abroad, and Gomez might not be done just yet. According to Mexican Clausura statistics, Gomez, who has scored in six straight games, is scoring once every 72 minutes in league play, by far the best ratio in the Mexican Primera Division for a player with at least four goals.
He's not doing it with simple tap-ins either. His combination of volleys, well-timed runs and headers has helped Santos Laguna to the top of the Clausura table, and he is bringing back memories of his 2010 Clausura run, when he won the league's Golden Boot while playing for Puebla.
As Gomez prepares for his next potential victim during Santos Laguna's CCL semifinal clash with Toronto FC Wednesday night, here's a look at all of the goals during his latest scoring spree:
2/26 VS. CHIVAS DE GUADALAJARA
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR429SCCGl0]
3/3 VS. SAN LUIS
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AC7MFLSvbk?start=48&fs=1&feature=oembed]
3/7 VS. SEATTLE SOUNDERS
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUVTLn6wrAg?start=65&fs=1&feature=oembed]
3/10 VS. PUEBLA
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MB28QaPNhY?start=85&fs=1&feature=oembed]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MB28QaPNhY?start=168&fs=1&feature=oembed]
3/14 VS. SEATTLE SOUNDERS
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5NGZnFW4RQ?start=52&fs=1&feature=oembed]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5NGZnFW4RQ?start=95&fs=1&feature=oembed]
3/24 VS. QUERETARO
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPmanWj5Lq4?start=80&fs=1&feature=oembed]