Andrea Canales squeezed so much from an interview with Club Tijuana and USMNT striker Herculez Gomez after his Mexican club matched up with the L.A. Galaxy on Wednesday that she had enough for a blog post.
And it’s a wonder this incendiary stuff didn’t make her primary piece for ESPNFC.
Gomez helped his club’s rivalry with L.A. grow by taking some shots at Galaxy ticket holders, but not before questioning his manager, Cesar Farias, for not starting him in the CONCACAF Champions League match:That may not go over well in the Tijuana dressing room, but his popularity is sure to take a bigger hit with L.A. supporters. Gomez, who was born just over an hour away from L.A. in Oxnard, Calif., couldn’t believe how overrun Stubhub Center was with supporters from his Mexican club.
“I think it was disappointing for L.A. You can’t claim to be one of the best fan bases and the flagship team of the league and get shown up like this. I’m sure their players feel disappointed.
On if the support surprised him: “No, I’m not surprised. I expected it. We’re really popular. People keep saying MLS should go to San Diego, but that’s maybe not such a good idea.”
Herc!! The striker does go on to compliment the Galaxy for many fond memories -- “I love L.A. They gave me a chance and an opportunity when not many would. I still have a house here” -- but the “flagship” comment is one awesome shot off the bow of the good ship Galaxy.
We just wish there was one more match in California between the two sides, as the second leg heads south of the border with L.A. up 1-0 ahead of Tuesday’s second leg .
Gomez scored 23 goals in 62 matches for the Galaxy from 2002-2006.