By: Toli Geshow, Staff Reporter
As a young kid growing up in a culture surrounded by the World Cup and Champions League, putting in hard work on the field despite an unforgiving workload was nothing new to Silver Spring, Maryland, native midfielder, Andres Gomez. It was the standard set by stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, and he knew he had to give his maximum effort to someday attain his goal of playing professional soccer overseas.
Gomez, the 21-year-old former captain of the Howard University men’s Division-I soccer team, signed his first professional contract with Sweden’s Nyköpings Bissarna on Aug. 28, 2020.
During his four years at Howard University, Gomez had 31 total points, 14 goals, and three assists.
His senior year was the most impressive, ranking top-50 in goals per game while leading the nation in shot-accuracy at 70%. During his senior campaign, Gomez earned a selection in the All-Sun Belt First Team and the exclusive Major League Soccer SuperDraft as team captain.
“For me, serving as team captain was a big responsibility and I was honored to be the captain for an amazing team,” Gomez said during an interview with Carolyn Williams last spring.
“Also, playing and representing a prestigious institution was one of the best experiences in my life.”
The endurance and stamina Gomez showcased on the field are eye-opening and helped unlock more parts of his game: his elusiveness, quick feet on defense, and his ability to make the right play for his team.
Men’s Soccer senior captain Nicholas Turk says, “Playing with Andres was an amazing experience because I could always count on him showing up and pushing the team to be better. The heart he showed on a daily basis solidified the team’s never die spirit.”
“No one is surprised that he has signed a professional contract because he’s earned it. The possibilities coming out of Howard are endless, ” he continued.
Howard University head soccer coach, Phillip Gyau, said “Andres Gomez is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached and his willingness to learn pushes him for greatness.”
“I’m not surprised [by his signing] because he’s talented and hard-working. When you mix that together, you create a great player that can accomplish anything.”
The Bison and newly signed professional soccer player leaves advice for future students who want to be successful, and a warm thank you to coach Philip Gyau.
“My advice for future Bison is to never settle for mediocracy,” Gomez stated, adding to “always strive and fight for what you believe in.”
Lastly, Gomez says, “ I would like to thank Coach Phillip Gyau for always believing in me from the beginning while giving me the opportunity to grow as a person on and off the field.”
