Courtesy of My News 3 (for full article, please click here).

From the soccer fields of Las Vegas to the big show in South Africa: A local athlete has just been named to the U.S. World Cup soccer team. 

Some say his story is a prime example of how far the sport has come here in Las Vegas. 

It’s the middle of the afternoon and the McCarran Marketplace soccer fields are alive with activity as players from an adult league meet up for a friendly game. 

But this week, Las Vegas soccer has taken an important turn thanks to an announcement made Wednesday morning. 

At 28 years old, Herculez Gomez is the first Las Vegan to ever make the U.S. World Cup soccer team. In all, 23 players will head to South Africa this weekend. Gomez’s longtime friend, Boomer Arbelaez says he is a perfect fit. 

“He’s very excited. He’s very athletic, he’s very quick. He’s always in the right place at the right time. And he’s a natural finisher. Herculez is what they’re looking for.”  Arbelaez says he first met Gomez through the Neusport Football Club when they were 12 years old. Although the two would later wear different uniforms for professional teams, their friendship remained strong. 

“I think it’s great, especially for Las Vegas,” Arbelaez contines. “He’s worked so hard and he’s paid his dues and he deserves it more than anybody.” 

Gomez is also a product of the Clark County School District; he attended Las Vegas High School. And, as you may expect, he was a standout on the soccer team. He was even named all-conference. Today, he’s a role model for other local players. 

“There’s a lot more opportunity for kids now in the youth system growing up,” Arbelaez explains. A lot of kids are in national teams and its getting better day by day. There’s more teams more opportunities.” 

The U.S. World Cup soccer team has advanced to the final 16 of the World Cup and will face Ghana on Saturday, June 26th.