Omar Gonzalez will get a chance to prove himself in Liga MX with Pachuca.
By Ivan Yeo
One of the most prominent defenders in MLS will finally get a chance to prove himself abroad.
On Tuedsay, the Los Angeles Galaxy announced that they will transfer defender Omar Gonzalez to Mexican club C.F Pachuca. Terms of the move were not available, though the move is expected to bring some much-needed salary cap relief.
The 6-5 Gonzalez had signed a designated player contract worth 1.5 million back in the summer of 2013. Nevertheless, the Galaxy added Steven Gerrard last winter, then utilized the league’s new mechanism in the form of Targeted Allocation Money to buy down Gonzalez’s contract and thus sign Giovani Dos Santos.
Gonzalez’s contract was due to end at the end of the 2016 season. Still, even with the league approving more TAM money, believed to be around $800,000, it apparently still would’ve taken a lot for the Galaxy to either retain Gonzalez at his current salary or retain him at a reasonable discount.
Still, it won’t be easy for LA to simply replace a player of Gonzalez’s stature. The Burling Center Back was drafted third overall by the team in 2009 and immediately made an impact, helping turn around a defense that had surrendered over 60 goals in 2008 as the Galaxy reached the MLS Cup final, but lost to Real Salt Lake on penalties. Gonzalez’s performance in 2009 earned him rookie of the year honors that year.
Gonzalez continued assert himself as MLS’ top defenders, winning defender of the year honors in 2011, being selected to the league’s Best XI four times (2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014), and helped the Galaxy win three MLS Cups (2011, 2012 and 2014). The 2012 title was a special one for Gonzalez, as his performance in LA’s 3-1 win over the Houston Dynamo that year made him the first defender to win Man of the Match honors.
