Credit Herculez Gomez with a final, characteristically dramatic flourish onto his remarkable career.
The veteran forward confirmed on Tuesday that he’s going out on top: retiring from professional soccer after 16 seasons to join ESPN as a studio analyst, having won a third MLS Cup with the Sounders last month.
Gomez, 34, played for 12 clubs during his decade-and-a-half in the game, winning those three MLS Cups, a Mexican league title and a U.S. Open Cup. The American-born son of Mexican immigrants, Gomez earned 24 caps with the U.S. national team, headlined by his three appearances at the 2010 World Cup.