I was chatting a few weeks ago with Fernando Lozano, an economics professor at Pomona College — and huge soccer fan — when the Mexico City native said an interesting thing:
“The first big Mexican-American star for the U.S. soccer team will be huge. Huge. There hasn’t been one. But when there is …
“He could be as big as Tiger Woods.”
Which put me to thinking … that Professor Lozano is right.
The first crossover U.S. soccer star … fluent in both English and Spanish, perceived to be Mexican, of recent Mexican antecedents — yet who chooses to play for the U.S. … could be, if not the Tiger Woods of American soccer, at least the Oscar De La Hoya.
The surprise is that it really hasn’t happened yet. We have no one filling this role.
On the current, 33-man U.S. national team “player pool,” only two players might be considered Mexican-American — Carlos Bocanegra and Ramiro Corrales. The former has that third-generation feel to him; the latter is a marginal talent.
And what of previous (at least semi-prominent) U.S. national team players with Latin surnames?
To a man, they were not Mexican.
Tab Ramos? Uruguayan. Fernando Clavijo? Also Uruguayan.
Claudio Reyna? Argentine father. Pablo Mastroeni? Born in Argentina
Hugo Perez? Born in El Salvador.
And now we are getting very thin on U.S. national players of the past 20 years who had Latin surnames.
That there are Mexican-Americans out there good enough to play for the United States … I mean, there have to be. Have to be. Mexico does quite well with its Mexican players, making the World Cup regularly and often ranking in the top 10 in the world.
But there is some sort of disconnect here. Either the U.S. Soccer Federation is overlooking the top Mexican-American talent … or some of the most prominent players are choosing to play for Mexico.
It is a puzzlement.
Is there something about the USSF that Mexican-Americans find off-putting? The style of play? The anglo culture of the USSF?
Or perhaps recent immigrants feel connected to Mexico, still, and will head there to play for the national team?
The point being, we don’t have that crossover star yet. If/when we get a U.S. player of, say, Landon Donovan’s skill who is bilingual but happens to be named Ochoa or Gomez … that guy could be a major celebrity and earn a boatload of money.
That is what Prof. Lozano was saying. And I believe he is correct.
15 responses so far ↓
1 Jacob Pomrenke // Jul 11, 2008 at 12:52 AM
The phrase “Fernando-mania” comes to mind. Could it happen in soccer, especially if — and there’s a very good chance it might — that first Mexican-American star hails from SoCal?
2 George Alfano // Jul 11, 2008 at 8:56 PM
If you were a Mexican born in Mexico but had moved to the US at a young age, what would be better – to play for the national team of Mexico or the US. Would it be more lucarative and carry more prestige to play in the Mexican league or the MSL?
Maybe some of the soccer player can offer some insight?
3 Luis Bueno // Jul 14, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Well, this is a question that plagues US Soccer. By sheer numbers alone there should be an entire pool of Mexican-Americans to draw from. Yet, there isn’t. I think though that it has to do with the way US Soccer identifies players. There are three good American-born players in the Mexican league; Jose Francisco Torres, Michael Orozco and Edgar Castillo. The first two were scouted by Mexican clubs here – yes, here in the US – and offered chances by Pachuca and Necaxa, respectively. Castillo went to an open tryout with Santos and made it. All three are very good; Torres has yet to decide on a national team future while Orozco will probably go to the Olympics for the US and Castillo is cap-tied to Mexico. How many more of those players are out in our area high schools, waiting for an opportunity? The Mexican-American version of Landon Donovan is out there but US Soccer won’t find him anytime soon. There’s a better shot that he’ll give up soccer by the time he’s 20.
4 Guy McCarthy // Jul 14, 2008 at 7:53 PM
Herculez Gomez has potential, but he’s had only a couple national team starts – in the Copa America last year.
Like any hard-working footballer playing up top in attacking roles, flat out results like goals and assists are streaky. His years with the Galaxy he was great and I always thought it was a mistake they let him go to Colorado. Maybe he should have got chances with the national team earlier.
He’s 26 now, maybe too late to be the kind of bust-out star you’re talking about. US hasn’t had many of those anyway, regardless of nationality.
5 Guy McCarthy // Jul 14, 2008 at 8:28 PM
I was too light in praising Gomez. He kicked ass in 2005 with 18 goals for L.A. in all competitions as the Galaxy won MLS Cup and US Open Cup. Apparently L.A. media voted him MVP for the season.
Plus, Herc was born in L.A. I saw him score his first goal for the Galaxy and celebrate with his family in the stands, so maybe I’m partial.
6 jay // Sep 21, 2008 at 2:07 AM
guy thank you for you comment is nice to hear when someone says Im wrong and your write herc could be the one
7 tee // Sep 21, 2008 at 2:16 AM
I was reading herculez gomez article in some news paper it reads herculez gomez the dream chacer, and his life has not been easy it kind of sounds like the movie gool the dream behing I never that that chacing a dream was that hard his only 26 and can easily write a book
I need to tell you all that I have alot of respect for this young man and my personal feeling is that he does well in what ever he does.
8 luis // Sep 21, 2008 at 2:22 AM
herculez I was hopping you ware going to be traded to the la galaxy so my family and I can follow you like back in 05
but we wanted you to know that Los angeles still remenbers you and misses you very much .
9 ARTURINHO-05 // Nov 19, 2008 at 4:25 PM
WELL IDK HOW Jose Francisco Torres, Michael Orozco and Edgar Castillo… CUZ I DONT BE WATCHING LMS……
AND AM AN MEXICAN AMERICAN AND AM THINKING ON GOING 2 PLAY WITH DA MEXICAN NATIONAL TEAM….
BECAUSE THATS BEEN MY DREAM……..
BUT AM STILL DONT NOW IF I WANT 2 PLAY SOCCER 4 DA USA………….
AND I BEEN PLAYING SOCCER WEN I WAS LIKE 12 OR 13……… AND I AM AS GOOD AS ALL DA PLAYERS OUT THEIR THAT BEEN PLAYING SINCE THEY WERE LIKE 8………….
I THINK ITS JUST ABOUT PRIDE AND THAT YOUNG PPL WANT 2 BEAT USA…….
10 damian rodriguez // Apr 12, 2011 at 9:06 PM
There wil be a Star in 1 year, his name is damian rodriguez, a striker that plays similar to chicharito
11 mejia // Sep 15, 2011 at 1:10 AM
well im mexican america and personaly i would rather play for the mexican national team only because thats how i was brought up and raise coming from a mexican father and mother always watching every mexican national game and the mexican league.but i would play for the usa national team if i had the chance to.i was actually in the us national pool for 4 years from when i was 13-17 years old and i would go try out me and another friend of mine that was also mexican american and also really good.they scouted the top 100 kids in the us and from those players they would chose like 23 players for the final team for the u15 and u17 and i dont know it seamed like the scouts tend to go more for the big fast strong guy not so much for the smart technical players like Donovan style.and i know those scouts left allot of good talent slip out cause im 20 already and i havent seen eany of those players on tv most of them eather left to other countrys to play or are playing in a community college like me or just stopped playing and gave up on there dreams and its sad.they need to change the way the scouts chose players for the national team maybe have some Hispanic scouts or something cause theres alot of talent that is slipping by
12 Perez // Sep 21, 2011 at 8:38 AM
I’ve been saying it for years “Gomez” should be playing for the San Jose Earthquakes, PERIOD! SO THERE , Dan
13 Divided Loyalties | The Old Gringo // Mar 26, 2013 at 10:22 PM
[…] the first Mexican-American star on a US soccer team will be an enormous star, like Tiger Woods, Paul Oberjuerge reports on his blog. This entry was posted in Mexican-American and tagged Mexican-Americans by boback. Bookmark […]
14 Diego Cordova // Jun 21, 2013 at 1:40 AM
I’m going to be the first Mexican-American soccer player. Diego Cordova #11 Forward. Currently 19. I play for the Illinois State FC I ‘m going to be that first mex-amer player in 2014 ! i promise
15 Diego Cordova // Jun 21, 2013 at 1:40 AM
jk
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