Herculez’s goal is just to win

Monday, Nov. 14, 2005 | 8:27 a.m.

Galaxy striker and Las Vegas native Herculez Gomez's highlights in Sunday's MLS Cup, and the minute they happened:

* 6th -- Ruled offsides on a breakaway goal

* 19th -- Misses a Chris Albright feed in front of the net

* 21st -- Long shot slices right of goal

* 23rd -- Quick turn and fire sails high and right

* 36th -- Another turn-and-fire from 18 yards is deflected

* 41st -- Point-blank attempt misses left of left post

* 71st -- Ref signals foul when he tries to poach defender

* 78th -- Yellow-carded for left hand touching ball

* 80th -- Landon Donovan whiffs on sterling feed from Gomez

* 81st -- Just misses high on a breakaway lob

* 85th -- Takes a rt boot in forehead from Daniel Hernandez

* 92nd -- Close header drifts over the crossbar

* OT 7th -- He almost redirects a close-range feed

* OT 17th -- Smothers Guillermo Ramirez after game's lone goal

* OT 25th -- Gets stoned on a rebound from Donovan

* OT 29th -- Is substituted for a defender

Herculez Gomez left his first MLS Cup on Sunday with a yellow card, a bruised forehead from an opposing player's boot and no goals.

Still, the Las Vegas native and Los Angeles striker was ecstatic about the Galaxy's 1-0 championship victory in overtime at Pizza Hut Park en route from Frisco, Texas, to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

"I don't care that I didn't end up on the scoring sheet," he said loudly into his cell phone on a very boisterous team bus. "The most important thing was winning. We're all very happy and we're very proud of each other. It's a team, in the true sense of the word."

Immediately after Guillermo "El Pando" Ramirez scored the game's only goal, in extra time of the first half of the 30-minute overtime, Gomez jumped onto Ramirez and smothered him on the ground.

"It was real special for him," Gomez said. "He's a good friend. We really shut up a lot of critics."

Los Angeles (14-13-6) was the first eighth-seeded team to reach an MLS Cup, and second-year coach Steve Sampson has been the target of much criticism since he led the U.S. national team to a disastrous 0-3 showing in the 1998 World Cup in France.

The Americans finished 32nd in the 32-team field.

The Galaxy also won the U.S. Open Cup this season. The last team to pull off the MLS Cup-U.S. Open double was the Chicago Galaxy in 1998.

"Fans around the league, local media, national media, everyone said we have no attack, no defense and that our coach is incompetent," Gomez said. "But look how far we've gone and how much we've done."

Gomez said he was told by many players after the match that he had not been offsides when he scored from the left side in the sixth minute. Television replays seemed to prove that, but he was nonetheless flagged for the offense.

"That happens, but you have to shake those things off and learn from them," said Gomez, who cried in the locker room, thinking about his mother Juanita and father Manuel, after the victory.

"That was just how much I love them and all they've done for me. It was amazing. I started breaking down. It was a combination of everything, like things are finally looking up. This is very special."

With 11 goals in 22 games during his debut MLS season, Gomez, 23, finds himself in a very special situation.

If not for the MLS Cup, he likely would have been called up to national team coach Bruce Arena's squad for its international friendly Saturday against Scotland in Glasgow.

Now, Gomez knows Arena is interested in taking a serious look at him in preparation for next summer's World Cup in Germany.

And Gomez's MLS contract expired after Sunday's game. He said he and his agent will consider every offer, and he acknowledged that some might even come from England, Italy or Spain.

"I'd have to take a real hard look," Gomez said. "I'm in a position to look after myself. I'd love to stay here, but I have to support myself and my family. I'm excited to take on these new adventures and see where it goes."

Rob Miech can be reached at 259-4087 or at miech@lasvegassun.com