Welcome to 11 Questions — a weekly questionnaire series designed for you to get to know the people that make up Greenville Triumph Soccer Club. Each week, our own Marion Cole will ask someone from the organization the same ten questions, but the eleventh question will be from the previous interviewee. With players, coaches, and front office staff involved, we hope to bring you a fun look inside our club!
This week, I’m joined by Spanish attacker and Triumph veteran, Carlos Gomez. Carlos made his mark on the club’s inaugural campaign, scoring seven goals with six assists and was named League One’s Player of the Month for September and October.
1. If you had a podcast, what would it be about and why?
It would be about soccer for sure. It’s my passion, so it would definitely be about the game. I would probably review the scores in different leagues and give my opinion on how the big teams played, the transfer market, the outstanding players in each league. I never thought about doing a podcast, but to be honest I would love to be a soccer game commentator either for TV or radio. There are many radio shows that commentate games in Spain and I am a big fan, so I would love to be part of something like that. My parents joke about how when I was a kid I would play soccer games with my toys and commentate the actions like a broadcaster.
2. How do you decompress after a long week of work or training?
After a long week of training, the best way I decompress is staying at home. I’ll chill, watch movies and soccer games. Play video games at night and really just try to recover mentally and physically from the efforts made during the week. I’ve loved watching Money Heist, but it’s over and I can’t wait till next season. During the quarantine, I’ve also watched some things about soccer that I really enjoyed: Sunderland ‘Til I Die and The English Game.
3. What’s the most memorable meal you’ve ever had and why?
This is a tough one, because I am lucky and have had a lot of memorable meals. But I would choose one I had with my family in Vigo. It’s a beautiful city in the north of Spain, an area called Galicia. And I remember that we ate the best seafood I’ve ever tried. It was so fresh. I was only 11 and I still remember the meal, so you can imagine how good it was. I think that’s one of the things I miss the most about Spain, the food. There is a greater variety, but fortunately there is one Spanish restaurant in Greenville called Abanico that imitates Spanish food taste very well. So if I miss it too much I just go there. Mealtime is overall very different in Spain versus America. In Spain, people are used to having lunch between 2-3pm and dinner much later, around 9pm. And if we go to a restaurant, we like to stay and talk for 20 to 30 minutes. Here I perceive it as different, at least from my experience. After a meal, you like to go much quicker. It’s all quicker.
4. What was the most nervous you’ve ever been?
I think during a penalty shootout in college playing a conference final. That moment was crazy. I was ready to take it, but when my teammates were shooting I was incredibly nervous waiting for their goals. Fortunately, we won! It was against Lander University, and it was my first title in America. Pretty special.
5. If you’re up at 2AM on a Saturday night, what are you eating?
If I am honest, I cannot remember the last time I was hungry and awake at 2 AM on a Saturday night! So it’s a question with a difficult answer for me. But If I have to say something, maybe fruit or nuts. I try to take care of what I eat as much as I can. Oats and nuts for breakfast. Rice, pasta or quinoa with chicken or tuna for lunch, and usually a salad with something like boiled eggs, avocado or quinoa for dinner. Sometimes grilled salmon, shrimps or a chicken breast. I enjoy fruit and like to have some pieces after lunch and dinner. Tons of water during the day.
6. What’s something you learned recently that blew your mind?
With this COVID-19 crisis, I heard from a famous Spanish doctor that the number of deaths in Spain could actually be almost two times greater than what the government is actually saying since region by region the numbers don’t match at all. In fact, a famous Spanish company that works on analyzing statistics back the doctor who is stating that theory. Truth is a key component in leading a country, and if this theory is finally proved as true, the government would be lying to us. And that’s something that I wouldn’t understand.
7. Triumph SC announces they’re bringing a celebrity to the next match and wondering if you have enough time to say, “Hello.” Who’s the celebrity you’re most excited to have at a match?
Raul Gonzalez. He is a former Spanish soccer player that is a legend and a great professional player. I’ve always admired him. When I was young, I used to celebrate my goals like him and looked at him to learn from his movements on and off the ball. I would love to meet him and have a chat with him to hear about some of his experiences. There are a million questions I would like to ask him. Maybe the first would be something about his pregame habits or his diet.
8. What’s the most memorable sports moment you’ve had as a fan?
When the team I support in Spain, Rayo Vallecano, got promoted to the second division of Spanish soccer. I was an academy player, so I got to watch the game inside the stadium. It’s a memory I’ll never forget. I wasn’t even that happy when they got promoted to La Liga several years later, which is the first division in Spain. The first promotion was a bigger deal to me because it was the first time I lived something like that. Being in the stadium. It was really special, and I hugged everyone around me. Most of them I didn’t even know. We invaded the field and celebrated with the players afterwards. An unreal feeling.
9. What sporting event have you always wanted to go to and why?
This is a tough one. But I would like to go to a Champions League final. The atmosphere has to be amazing. There is something, with the soul of the competition, that is pure magic. I would love to be present in a final, and of course, if possible, watching a team I support. If I have to choose one match-up, just to enjoy, without being a fan of any of the teams, I would choose Real Madrid vs. Barcelona. Otherwise, I would choose any other team against my favorite team, Rayo Vallecano, or against Chelsea which is my second favorite team.
10. If you’re part of a PK lineup, what number are you taking your penalty kick?
I think I would choose fifth. I don’t like to be the first or one of the first takers. Being fifth, I would have time to think where to kick it and keep myself calm.
11. Your Strength and Conditioning Coach, Ryan McKie, wanted me to ask you: Ask him, for me, which one Spanish is the “right” one? Is it from Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, or other and why?
Hahaha clearly the Spanish from Spain is the right one. I’m really only joking. This is a conversation Ryan and I, along with the other Spanish speaking players, had so many times in the locker room last season. My ancestors brought it to America from Spain, so “the original,” as I like to call it, is ours. Spanish from Spain. But there is nothing wrong with the rest. It’s actually funny how different Spanish sounds with each accent from around the world, including Spain’s Spanish accent. Spain’s Spanish accent is different in each region of the country. There are 17 total regions in Spain, and I wish I could explain better about the differences of all the accents from around the world, but I would say “Spain” Spanish speakers use some words that the rest of Spanish speaking countries do not use. We also pronounce the letter “c” in a different way than the rest of countries. I haven’t lost my accent yet, but something interesting that happens to me now is that I struggle to remember some words in Spanish that I remember perfectly in English.
Next week I’m speaking with newcomer and former Toronto FC II defender, Trevor Swartz. What would you like me to ask Trevor?
As a left-footed player, I would like to know what are the top three left footed players in the world for you?
