SoccerAmerica - Gomez helps sink Toronto FC 04/04/2012

[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] There is simply no stopping American Herculez Gomez. He scored two goals to help Santos of Mexico beat Toronto FC, 6-2, and send the last MLS team packing from the Concacaf Champions League, 7-3, on aggregate. The goals give Gomez at least one in each of the four games in the knockout phase and 10 goals in seven games since being inserted in the Santos starting lineup. Santos now moves into the all-Mexican final against defending champion Monterrey.

Toronto twice led on goals by Joao Plata, but Gomez evened the score each time to send the teams into halftime tied at 2-2.

Any chances TFC had evaporated when it conceded two penalty kicks, both converted by Juan Pablo Rodriguez, early in the second half.

RESULTS:
Semifinals, Second Leg
April 4
Santos 6 Toronto FC 2
TOR: Joao Plata 14
TOR: Joao Plata 42
SAN: Herculez Gomez 30
SAN: Herculez Gomez 45
SAN: Juan Pablo Rodriguez (pen.) 55
SAN: Juan Pablo Rodriguez (pen.) 63
SAN: Oribe Peralta 66
SAN: Daniel Luduena 90
(Santos wins 7-3 on aggregate.)

April 4
UNAM 1 Monterrey 1.
(Monterrey wins 4-1 on aggregate.)

Semifinals, First Leg
March 28
Toronto FC 1 Santos 1.
SAN: Herculez Gomez 30
TOR: Miguel Aceval 37

March 28
Monterrey 3 UNAM 0.
MON: Miguel Morales 7
MON: Aldo De Nigris 60
MON: Aldo De Nigris 72

Quarterfinals, Second Leg
March 15
UNAM 8 Isidro Metapan 0.
UNAM: own goal 24
UNAM: Eduardo Herrera 25
UNAM: Efrain Velarde 38
UNAM: Martin Bravo 53
UNAM: Eduardo Herrera 62
UNAM: Jose Garcia 68
UNAM: Fernando Espinoza 72
UNAM: Juan Cacho 87
(UNAM wins 9-2 on aggregate.)

March 14
Santos 6 Seattle Sounders 1.
SAN: Christian Suarez 8
SEA: Alvaro Fernandez 36
SAN: Christian Suarez 76
SAN: Oribe Peralta 9
SAN: Herculez Gomez 48
SAN: Herculez Gomez 67
SAN: Carlos Ochoa 80
(Santos wins 7-3 on aggregate.)

Los Angeles Galaxy 1 Toronto FC 2.
TFC: Ryan Johnson 34
LA: own goal 55
TFC: Nick Soolsma 67
(Toronto FC wins 4-3 on aggregate.)

March 13
Monterrey 4 Morelia 1.
MON: Humberto Suazo (pen.) 43
MON: Luis Perez (pen.) 60
MON: Humberto Suazo 70
MOR: Angel Sepulveda (pen.) 77
MON: Walter Ayovi 82
(Monterrey wins 7-2 on aggregate.)

Quarterfinals, First Leg
March 8
Isidro Metapan 2 UNAM 1
MET: Mark Blanco 26
MET: Mark Blanco 48
UNAM: Eduardo Herrera 66

March 7
Toronto FC 2 Los Angeles Galaxy 2
TFC: Ryan Johnson 12
TFC: Luis Silva 18
LA: Mike Magee 29
LA: Landon Donovan 88

Seattle Sounders 2 Santos 1
SEA: David Estrada 12
SAN: Herculez Gomes 61
SEA: Brad Evans 63

March 6
Morelia 1 Monterrey 3
MON: Humberto Suazo 28
MON: Humberto Suazo 44
MOR: Joel Huiqui 60
MON: Dario Carreno 90

16 comments

Luis Arreola

commented on: April 4, 2012 at 11:47 p.m.

What a surprise. Gomez need to do more to get a spot on usmnt?

Paul Estrada

commented on: April 5, 2012 at 2:10 a.m.

What a joke. Why do MLS teams even bother to participate in this competition? As usual, MLS brass touts their teams as if they are something special, but they aren't. The league is weak, and always will be until you start to get quality players and coaches, and some semblance of a youth system that works.

Luis Arreola

commented on: April 5, 2012 at 9:07 a.m.

Mexico should just concentrate on the libertadores. But the money factor is what will keep this useless event going. Mls look out for Salvadorian teams!!

Walt Pericciuoli

commented on: April 5, 2012 at 10:06 a.m.

Yes,Gomez needs to do more than score goals to make the USMNT.After all, we have so many goal scorers already like Buddle,Wondolowski,Agudelo,Boyd,Altidore Johnson etc, Oh yeah, Goemz was in the MLS but no one could find a use for him.

Walt Pericciuoli

commented on: April 5, 2012 at 11:31 a.m.

Would a pairing of Dempsey and Gomez up top excite you?

Luis Arreola

commented on: April 5, 2012 at 12:08 p.m.

Agudelo is talented and Jozy is a presence. Put them on their toes, let the best man win.

Raveen Rama

commented on: April 5, 2012 at 3:13 p.m.

Klinsman says that Gomez needs to keep proving himself! I think he has done enough proving. Perhaps there is something else Klins is hoping for. Recently it seems that Gomez has been playing as a wing, and maybe that position does not fit in Klins' plans.

I w Nowozeniuk

commented on: April 5, 2012 at 8:33 p.m.

Typical TFC/MLS stuff... panic, getting rid of the ball, no complacency, no simplicity of play with possession; only a couple of players get it, most don't.

Jack vrankovic

commented on: April 5, 2012 at 10:21 p.m.

Dempsey is the only consistent goal scorer at a high level. Gomez and co. all need to do more. Altidore is big, fast and strong, but as the English are keen to say, he has no bottle. Agudelo needs to get out of North American soccer ASAP. Consistent playing time in a 2nd/3rd tier feeder league like Holland, Belgium, Austria, Scotland or even the the Championship would be a huge improvement.

Luis Arreola

commented on: April 6, 2012 at 9:46 a.m.

Gomez has proven much more than Agudelo and Jozy. To score in Mexican league is not easy.

Walt Pericciuoli

commented on: April 6, 2012 at 9:57 a.m.

Please anyone, are there two better GOAL SCORERS than Gomez and Dempsey? Why do we have to keep trotting out all the others. Gomez and Dempsey should be our first choices right now. Altidore, Agudelo and all the others should be in line fighting for a spot on the bench.

Jack vrankovic

commented on: April 7, 2012 at 2:05 p.m.

@Luis Arreola: Altidore is also scoring in the Netherlands, which is not easy.

Walt Pericciuoli

commented on: April 7, 2012 at 8:11 p.m.

OK Jack, but doesn't Gomez deserve at least a chance?

Jack vrankovic

commented on: April 7, 2012 at 11:58 p.m.

Honestly, I would have him on the bench with Altidore and Dempsey as starting forwards. Just my humble opinion, but I feel they are our strongest duo. The problem with Altidore (Adu, etc.) and many of our MLS players is that the MLS wants to sell them for too much money , then they are sold to clubs that they are not good enough to play at. They subsequently bounce around to other teams until they find a good fit. Altidore wasted a lot of time. If he would have gone to Austria, Bundesliga2, Belgium or the Netherlands before going to Spain/England he would be a better player by now. I follow, Croatian football and even though the league is top heavy feeder league ripe with corruption, it consistently produces talent and sells them to the appropriate club. Take for example Nikica Jelavic of Everton, he has worked his way up through multiple weak leagues to the EPL. Happy Easter.

Luis Arreola

commented on: April 8, 2012 at 3:45 p.m.

Good point Jack. All you have to di is see how well Croatia does as a country so small. They are great at basketball. What's their secret?? Jozy has nit done much on Usnnt. I see the potential but I believe we are past that with him.

Jack vrankovic

commented on: April 9, 2012 at 8:01 a.m.

Croatians are are crazy about sports and I think that is what makes them a statistical anomaly in regards to population size and sporting performance. The public puts a lot of pressure on its athletes and coaches. As far as soccer is concerned, the youth coaches are good , the clubs and players have huge financial incentives for progressions to stronger leagues. I have "coached" 5 year old girls in America and I am shocked by some of the stuff I see. One year my "assistant coach" would bark orders and positions while wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey. I tried to explain that the assignment of positions is unnecessary and counterproductive, but it fell upon deaf ears. On a whole, I see a lot of potential in America and I feel things are improving. TV coverage is great now, which will help tremendously.

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