USMNT legends spar on social media

Being blocked by Eric Wynalda on X (formerly Twitter) these days seems like a badge of honor. Awful Announcing has been for a long while, but it took Herculez Gomez until Monday to receive a similar fate.

Despite his lack of restraint, the outspoken Wynalda enjoyed a lengthy broadcasting career at Fox Sports. Known for his unfiltered opinions, he wasn’t exactly a model of professionalism for the network. Wynalda’s rants were often excessive, like calling former coach Jürgen Klinsmann “un-American.”

That r ant on Klinsmann was just one example of how his emotions clouded his judgment. There are many others.

The USMNT’s recent Copa América exit ignited Wynalda’s frustrations, which he unleashed on social media. He has a long history of burning bridges, alienating former teammates, colleagues in the industry, and even fellow national team members.

Wynalda’s temper flared after the USMNT’s 1-0 defeat to Uruguay. He fiercely disagreed with Gomez and Lalas’ comments, implying their opinions held less weight because they didn’t have playing careers that matched his own. It seemed Wynalda felt they should defer to “legends” like himself.

However, this from Wynalda contradicts his own criticisms of coach Gregg Berhalter, especially regarding the Gio Reyna situation. The irony is that Wynalda seems more bothered by the source of the criticism than the content itself, even if it aligns with his own views.

He also made an insensitive remark about Gomez’s heritage. Despite being born in the U.S. to Mexican-American parents and playing professionally in Mexico, Gomez has always identified strongly with the U.S. national team.

Unsurprisingly, Gomez wasn’t going to take Wynalda’s comments lying down. However, when he attempted to respond, he discovered he’d been blocked. In further criticism of Wynalda and his legacy, Gomez pointed out that Wynalda seemed particularly sensitive, adding that Wynalda’s career after playing has been defined by severed ties and missed chances.

One of those wasted opportunities involved Wynalda’s unexpected dismissal from Las Vegas Lights FC. Despite the season being on hold due to no games being played in March 2020, he was then surprisingly fired again just hours after news broke about the USL Championship’s proposed return to play the following month.

While Wynalda enjoyed a successful playing career, his post-playing career has been tarnished by his confrontational style and his inability to move past his playing days. He’s either unable or unwilling to engage in respectful discourse about the beautiful game, often questioning critics’ credentials or resorting to personal attacks.

And Monday was just the latest example of that.

[ Herculez Gomez ]

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