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This piece below written by US National, World Cup veteran and current Estudiantes Tecos player Herculez Gomez.

The fire to play. More important than the building view...

Editor’s Note: An appropriate segue out of the July 4th weekend, Herculez Gomez tries his hand at his first written piece…and it’s good.

Herculez and I spoke about a recent article on Freddy Adu. We agreed–while not the main focus of the piece–that it’s tone made it too casual about what it is like…making your way as an American player, or really any player, overseas.

Freddy Adu’s club status–last year he closed the season on loan for a Turkish 2nd division team–was dictated by his contract status at Benfica and his maturity. Was it, along with his production, dictated by his ability? That was but a secondary factor.

It’s hard to treat expectation and production as independent of club status, contract and other factors. More importantly, player movement abroad is a matter of business firstly, less about allegiance to one club or another.

Herculez glommed on to another part of the piece as well. The notion of a “journeyman”–a foreign word to fanbases outside the United States.

I posed to him the question of just who is a journeyman and who isn’t? Also, aren’t players supposed to seek out the best playing situation and best wages?

I also asked Herculez to speak on behalf of his 140-word Twitter opine that “a player leaves for more dollars it’s greedy; a team cuts you and it’s just business?”

What follows below is Herculez’s own words and response. I keep saying broadcast after his playing career. Herc says no.

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Herculez Gomez...

I don’t know how to answer that last question–”a player leaves for more dollars it’s greedy; a team cuts you and it’s just business?”–without explaining both sides first.

Its like that Drake song lyric “We live in the same building but got different views”, To the fan we–athletes may look greedy and only out for ourselves.

The fans hurt, I get it.

Trust me I’m a Raiders fan. I have suffered enough for one lifetime, I don’t want to see or hear about a player leaving for more money.

It doesn’t seem fair, does it?

But what about those guys who my beloved Raiders cut?

Good!

Get rid of them, not  good enough anyways, right? That’s the fan in me percolating up.

Its part of the business, comes with the territory. Trades, waivers, invasion of privacy, etc. These are all problems many of us would trade for in a heartbeat, I get it. I would kill to play in the NFL, I would.

And no, not as a placekicker, c’mon.

When it comes to the American Footballer–soccer player for the good soccer moms out there–it’s not so cut and dry. It just isn’t.

Gomez for the Galaxy. Paltry salary but tremendous kits, no?

Let me give you a little insight to my taste as a “professional athlete”, the following are actual salaries in my time playing in the US of A:

2002 SD Gauchos USL $600 a month (plus a sweet coaching job on the side)

2002 LA Galaxy MLS Developmental Player $825 a month (good luck living in LA for that amount!)

2003 LA Galaxy MLS DP $825 a month (my Grandma now lets me sleep on her couch)

2004 SD Gauchos/ SD Soccers Indoor  total for both was about $1200 (I was told by an actual MLS coach that soccer was not in my future, Waived.)

2005 LA Galaxy MLS Senior DP about $1300 a month (My friend and old youth coach lets me into his home free of cost.)

2006-09 LA Galaxy, Colorado Rapids, KC Wizards MLS $50,000-$54,000

And, my friends, these were all semi-guaranteed contracts.

I guess this would make me–as that way-too-casual piece on Freddy Adu comments–a “journey man” to some, but does this mean I’m less successful than players that stay with one team for a majority of their careers? I sure hope not.

Don’t get me wrong I would do everything all over again, given what I know today and where I am. It makes me appreciate what I have today, but if not for the help of many people throughout my past I wouldn’t be as lucky.

But for me, and American footballer, a player whose career track has resembled a Plinko board, its much more than just money, its the football culture, its testing yourself amongst others regardless of salary considerations sometimes, its getting noticed by your national team–a high honor that should never be poo-pooed.

So what does one do–who wants to pursue a passion that just happens to be a career too?

Go abroad or stay in the comfort of what you know?

I chose to go abroad, or rather had that choice made for me by my then-team in the MLS. It wasn’t by my own solicitation.

It’s just business though. Nothing personal. The professional athlete in me gets it.

I’m a product, and a disposable one at that.

So you head aboard and…

My first thought was “Wow! This is how players outside of American Soccer live?”

My teammates drive Porshes, Audis, BMWs, etc. As apposed to lets say my Saturn “on” (It used to be an Ion, but the “i” fell off durring my 27-hour drive from Vegas to Kansas City a few years ago.) They–and me–are celebrities, sought after by media and fans.

It’s awe-striking, some netherworld that sometimes is hard to believe exists.

And finally–on what seems like the 50th stop on the D subway train of life–I have a breakout season with Puebla.

Before I know it, I’m being courted by teams and agents all with promises of your happiness and best interest.

Then sold!…to the highest bidder (Pachuca), my old team makes a hefty profit. I’m villianized by the fans, labeled a “mercenary.”

It’s hard to understand, especially when you’re driving that Saturn model, amongst a sea of expensive cars in the training lot.

The facts show that Puebla sold me. It was their perogative and they made a tidy profit.

When I used to don the cherished Puebla sash, everytime I possessed the ball in the attacking third, the crowds would cheer and rise to their feet in expectation. It was a wonderful feeling.

My first game back? A crescendo of boos hit me as I enter as a sub on the touchline. Whistle and jeers everytime I touched the ball.

It’s hard to reconcile.

Labeled a mercenary and not by choice! Am I journeyman because my former club took advantage of my production?

Now in Pachuca, a coaching carousel and misplaced expectations see me moved again.

At Tecos, I’m thrust back in the world of uncertainty and a semi-guaranteed lifestyle, it’s a crazy circle. An American journey man once again, I guess.

There are two sides to the coin.

Americans playing abroad, we aren’t these money hungry “mercenaries” or a pack of washed-up “journey men.”

We are just regular Joe’s–or in my case Jose’s–looking for what every other American looks for, the American dream in the career tract or business we’ve chosen.

We just had to go overseas to pursue it, whichever way it was uniquely scripted.

Gomez, dream, attained...for now...

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More on TSG:

Herculez Gomez, The TSG Interview: You Never Know Where Life’s Going To Take You, So Make the Most Of It

On Playing Abroad: As Told By Preston Zimmerman

Op-Ed: Sports Reporting 2011: On Data, Photos & Compromise

Preston

TSG fave Preston Zimmerman takes another step in furthering his German footie career today.

Zimmerman–who has been at Mainz playing on their reserve team for a year now–signs today with SV Darmstadt 98.

Zimmerman had offers from Greece and Croatia but told TSG that Darmstadt, recently promoted to the 3rd Bundesliga, offered precisely the opportunity he was looking for.

Zimmerman wrote us, “My dream is to play in Germany and be here. I love the country, the people and the football. The coach [Kosta Runjaic] is the reason for me going there. He’s young (39 years old) and done a great job.”

“The club has a big tradition and history–they drew 17,000 in their last game of the season in the 4th division.”

Zimmerman also added that being 30 minutes from his current location of Mainz was a factor as well.

We wish Zimmerman–who said he’ll play as many as five positions but be focused at right midfield–all the luck in the world.

TSG’s lengthy (and tops in our book) interview with the now SV Darmstadt man. Part I, Part II, Part III.

Break out the Chardonnay and croissants. It’s Mother’s Day Weekend, here in the States only as I learned on Twitter yesterday.

Giggs, incredulously going stronger than Lampard these days...

But there is a full plate overflowing with bangers, mash and a whole host of phenomenal footie affairs.

The “premiere” match-up? Of course that’s Manchester United vs. Chelsea. John Terry vs. Wayne Rooney. Massive debt (MUFC) vs. Diminishing Wealth (CHE), Aging talisman (Giggs) vs. Very aging sharpshooter who doesn’t create anymore and is really just taking up space sometimes (Lampard), though he’s a complete professional.

Chelsea just off the top ‘o the table, Manchester United looking to brush them under.

There’s more of course, the USMNT’s two “2011 EPL minutes leaders” in the central midfield go head-to-head. Of course that’s Michael Bradley vs. Stu Holden rather Jermaine Jones vs. Jonathan Spector. West Ham is currently porkloined in the basement, Blackburn is a hovering.

Roma vs. Milan goes down in Serie A. Unfortunately Roma’s tomato over-ripened about half a season ago. Maybe Zlatan will create some excitement though.

Bundesliga, pass this week. I’ll take flack.

La Liga, pass this week. Won’t take flack.

Back home in MLS, you’ve got the bi-coastal marquee match-up of the Los Angeles Galaxy vs. the New York Red Bulls. If you remember last year, the Red Bulls visited a Galaxy-side that was depleted at the back having to play then-second choice Leonardo and third stringer Yohance Marshall in central defense.

That said, it was the Red Bulls central defense of Tony Tchiani and Rafa Marquez that laid the beatdown on Dema Kovalenko and Juninho in the middle and that was the story of the match and will likely be the key ingredient to Saturday’s match. Can the Los Angeles Galaxy midfield step-up when teams stretch to cover a withdrawn David Beckham and advancing Landon Donovan.

Don't worry Omar....

On the opposite side, Bruce Arena’s company will have to deal a methodical linking attack of the Red Bulls that’s starting to take shape.

...you're beautiful...

They’ll also have to deal with the fact that Omar Gonzalez readied himself for the match by going to see James Blunt this week. Don’t worry, we called him out.

Elsewhere, the Sounders take on Columbus in their 2nd game of the week and need to put it together–again–on offense to do any better than a draw. Philly heads to Portland’s lair for a battle of offense vs. defense.

Two more notes:

» First, gave a little stick to Grant Wahl about his Sporting KC MLS Cup pick. He fired back that he was still all-in on the wizardry of Peter Vermes.

Sporting KC might be looking down at no one in the table right now, but they’re a lot better than their record indicates. Red cards in all but one game (that will get corrected), a road trip from hell to start the season while Lance LIVESTRONG park readies itself for the MLS Tour, and injuries to the backline.

Yes, this man is, in fact, a ferocious defender...RRRrrgh...

KC haven’t lost a game by more than one goal and were in every game that they have played. Once they get back home, their defense will solidify and with the weapons up front, they’ll just need to get that midfield a little more sorted. With a KC bye this week, good times for you fantasy footie managers to pick up some Sporting players on the cheap. Just got myself a shiny new Michael Harrington on discount.

» Second, and am way late on this: I love the move to ban colored shoes on the pitch. If you recall it was a shrewd business move by Nike to guerrilla market the 2010 World Cup. This consisted of: calling out the Jabulani, making the infamously expensive hype video featuring Wayne Roo-ins and more, and of course, honoring their athletes contracts by outfitting their South Africa bound players with shoe colors that went highlighter.

In case you didn’t know, that the color is for them to get noticed, nothing more. And I for one, cannot stand when a marketing move disrupts the tradition of club color’s or unity. Anywho…

Back to the games….