Risk management. It's a part of the game, and in many cases it's the product of careful study, evaluations of all options, and the final implementation of a calculated risk. For the Colorado Rapids, it's been more a matter of instinct.
It was instinct when head coach Fernando Clavijo acted on the opportunity to trade top goalkeeper Joe Cannon to the Los Angeles Galaxy for young players Herculez Gomez and Ugo Ihemelu.
And it's a similar instinct that sends Gomez diving for balls with his head and making bicycle kicks in an all-out effort to win every time he steps on the field.
Both Clavijo's and Herculez' instinctive willingness to take the game to its edges were on display Saturday as the Rapids affinity for risk paid off in a 1-0 victory Saturday evening against their division rivals.
Gomez led all players with seven shots, and his header past Cannon on a cross from Terry Cooke was the game-winner in the 71st minute.
Gomez acknowledged how important it was to beat his old team, and as he tied Roberto Brown as the Rapids' leading scorer, there was no denying the impact he's had since coming to Colorado.
"This is a game that I really wanted to win," Gomez said. "It's no big secret, I was a huge L.A. fan before I played there. I kind of lived the fan's dream. I kind of walked on. I didn't make any money. I was sleeping on couches, sleeping on floors, getting free handouts on meals. I kind of broke in. And I loved that team. It was a great thing for me. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.
"But I honestly think leaving Los Angeles was the best thing for me. I think I'm a better player for it. I'm grateful for my time there. It feels like it was an internship. I understudied some great players. And I finally feel like I'm becoming an all-around player. I'm asked to do things here. I'm asked to take on responsibilities. I'm really embracing it."
Saturday's game was characteristic of Gomez's affinity for being in the middle of the action, as he constantly created chances with an aggressive, no-holds barred attack.
Three minutes after his goal, Gomez had another opportunity on a similar cross from Cooke, falling back into a bicycle kick shot that Cannon was able to deflect to keep the Galaxy close.
"I'd take it if we're down 4-0, if we're tied 1-1 - if I get it again I'm going to do it again," Gomez said of the gamble. "Maybe it goes in, maybe it doesn't. But that's the type of player I am. I take risks. I try to make those half chances into goals.
"I'm really excited about the type of player that I think I can become," he added. "In L.A. it's kind of tough to be that player. You have Landon [Donovan]. He's merited all the success he's had in L.A. So it's kind of tough to be that guy there. But I'm enjoying being that guy here."
With Ihemelu back on the field for 90 minutes after working his way back from knee tendonitis, the Rapids saw their energized dynamics on both sides of the field, validating the offseason trade for Cannon.
"I have the greatest respect for Joe - he's a great goalkeeper," Clavijo said after reaping the dividends of the trade in a head-to-head victory. "But I would do it again. I thought we had two outstanding young players in Herculez Gomez and Ugo Ihemelu. We gave an opportunity to a very young goalkeeper [Bouna Coundoul], who in my personal opinion is going to be one of the best goalkeepers in the league for many more years to come.
"It's always a chance. There's always hesitations; but on my part there wasn't. When I saw an opportunity to have Herculez and Ugo with me, and of course take a chance with Bouna, for me it was a given, there wasn't much thinking about it."
Coundoul rose to his challenge Saturday, stopping all four shots on goal and holding up under steady pressure from Donovan and the Galaxy, despite the visitors playing a man down after Kyle Martino was sent off in the 25th minute.
"We created chances," said Clavijo. "I think we managed the game well for 80 minutes. Then the last 10 minutes, not being able to put the ball in, not being able to finish them early. We suffered a little bit more than we should have today. But we went back to winning ways at home against our own division, and that's always good."
It could be coincidence, but the final 10 minutes Clavijo referred to coincided with Gomez's exit from the game. Still nursing a groin injury suffered against Kansas City last Wednesday, he showed little sign of it on the field, running down balls outside and in to make things happen in front of the goal.
"That's the type of player I am," Gomez said. "I always tell my backs, the outside backs, if you're in trouble don't be afraid to just dump it in the corner. I'm never going to look at you, like what are you doing. I'm always going to fight for it, I'm always going to go. I think they appreciate that and I think they have the confidence to play that ball. It's just one of those things that comes with the territory."
While his new teammates appreciate his role in bringing them back within a point of first place in the Western Conference, old teammates recognize the risk in coming into Gomez's new territory.
"He's always dangerous," Donovan said. "He's aggressive. That's his best attribute, he's aggressive and he puts you under pressure. And he's usually in good spots. He scored a great goal to finish it. You have to give him credit. He's done really well. I'm proud of him."
Gomez isn't sleeping on floors and looking for free meals any more, though he wouldn't mind stepping up from his league-minimum contract. But he has his sights set on elevated territory for both his team and himself.
"I want to play national team, like any other player," he said. "I want to be a mainstay here. I want to be a player that when they think of the Rapids, my name and my face is associated with it. It's no big secret - I want the finer things in life too. That'll come with playing better."
It's hard to ask for more than Gomez has offered so far, but if he's ready to gamble that there's better yet to come, Colorado players and fans will gladly take that risk.
Owen Perkins is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
