Faces off the field
Hector Gomez, senior center midfielder, Vista Ridge
What’s your best soccer memory from high school? I don’t have just one favorite memory, but I really liked our first playoff game last year when we beat LBJ 1-0.They were district champions and undefeated, but we left it all on the field, and all we needed to win was one goal, which we got toward the end. What are your expectations for your team this season? Our team is very young but after looking at our preseason so far, we are much better than I thought we would be. I know we can go further in playoffs than we did last year. Does your team have any prematch rituals? Nothing that the whole team does together. Most of us just listen to our own music to get mentally prepared and motivated for the game. TheWorld Cup is this year. What team are you most looking forward to seeing? I’m looking forward to watching Mexico because that’s where I’m from, but I’ll probably watch every game because pretty much every game is really good in the World Cup. If you could invite any four people in the history of the world to dinner, who would they be? Ronaldinho, Pope Francis, Emma Watson and the Dalai Lama. Why Ronaldinho? Ronaldinho has to be there because he is my favorite soccer player. If you had the choice of being valedictorian of your class or all-state in soccer, which would you choose? I’d say all-state in soccer. What do you considerto be the world’s greatest invention? Soccer is the greatest invention ever because it’s not just a sport, it’s the beautiful game. Is soccer gaining popularity in Central Texas? It’s definitely becoming more popular every year. I think the United States is really preparing to get far in future World Cups. Do you have a nickname? They call me “Chino.” It means both “Chinese” and “curly” in Spanish. I do have curly hair. Tell me something about yourself that most people don’t know. Most people don’t know that I don’t like quesadillas.