A History of High Profile Mexican MLS Players
Héctor Herrera's signing drew a lot of attention to Houston. But what's MLS's full track record with El Tri stars?
Let’s face it: It’s not been a great decade for Houston Dynamo.
Inheriting a squad and staff that had already won two MLS Cups in San Jose, La Naranja was a power in the league for their first few years of existence. They won two MLS Cups upon arriving in H-Town, and reached two more finals in 2011 and 2012, famously losing both to the Galaxy.
Winning brought with it some of MLS’s best crowds. In their inaugural season of 2006, only the Galaxy outdrew Houston at the gate, and Dynamo would hover towards the top end of MLS attendance for some time. The apex of this was 2012, the opening of their new soccer-specific stadium now known as PNC Stadium, when the team averaged 21,015 fans per game. This, without any real marquee players that could sell tickets on name recognition. Even as recently as 2015, Houston was still drawing over twenty thousand per game.
Following that 2015 season, Gabriel Brener purchased a controlling state in the club from Anschutz Entertainment Group.
This turned out to be nothing short of a disaster.
The team has made the playoffs a grand total of one time since Brener’s purchase, with that coming back in 2017, when they made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals. More than that, crowds have fallen off a cliff. In 2019, the last season that wasn’t affected by COVID-19 restrictions, Houston averaged its worst attendance ever, at 15,874.
So new owner Ted Segal, who bought the team from Brener last season, has two things to fix. Get better on the pitch, and get butts in seats off the pitch.
He’s banking on one man to help fix both.
Earlier this week, Houston announced the signing of Mexican star Héctor Herrera from Atlético Madrid, effective this summer.
You can see Dynamo’s thought process here. Houston has a massive Hispanic population, primarily Mexican. Signing Mexican superstars is also historically one of the most lucrative business decisions in MLS. Just look at Houston themselves - their most recent sellout was the 2020 home opener against the Galaxy, where Chicharito made his MLS debut for the visitors.
And there’s no doubt that Herrera is a superstar. He’s approaching 100 caps for El Tri, and was just starting in the Champions League for the reigning Spanish champions. He immediately improves Houston’s squad on the pitch, and is by some distance the biggest name they’ve ever had. It’s a signing that will generate buzz in the city, and should translate to butts in seats.
With all of that said, how have other big-name Mexican standouts fared in MLS? And where will Herrera end up?
Let’s take a look. To weed out some of the lower-level players, we’re going to set a base of 30 caps for Mexico for the players we look at.
The Handful Of Games Guys
So as to save space on guys that played less than 15 games in MLS, we’ll lump them all in here. El Tri caps in parenthesis.
José Manuel Abundis (47) - New England, 2006
Adolfo Bautista (38) - Chivas USA, 2014
Daniel Osorno (57) - Colorado, 2007
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Chicago, 2007-2009
This is the one that comes to mind whenever people think about Mexican stars in MLS.
Chicago had just moved into the suburbs and saw attendance plummet. They needed buzz, and badly. The new Designated Player rule gave them a chance.
Enter Blanco, a star from the biggest club in Mexico, Club América.
Yes, he was 34. Yes, he couldn’t really run anymore. And yes, he was absolutely fantastic in MLS.
He was Best XI caliber in 2008, his first full season, and in both seasons the club reached the Eastern Conference Final. Not only were they better on the field, they also saw attendance soar.
Oh, and with Blanco in, they finally got to knock New England out of back-to-back playoffs after the Revs had taken them out three years in a row.
Omar Bravo
Kansas City, 2011
2011 was the beginning of a new era for Kansas City, and boy, did it show.
A rebrand, a new stadium, and one of its biggest signings ever. Almost overnight, Kansas City went from the Wizards, losers playing in front of ten people at Arrowhead, to Sporting KC, one of MLS’s model clubs.
Bravo….was not a part of that. The Chivas icon with two Gold Cups and 66 caps to his name did score nine goals in his lone MLS season, but he was a square peg in a round hole. He didn’t fit Peter Vermes’s system, and when the season was on the line in the Eastern final against Houston, Bravo was stapled to the bench in favor of Kei Kamara, CJ Sapong, and Teal Bunbury.
Jorge Campos
Galaxy 1996-1997, Chicago 1998
Patient zero.
Allocated to the Galaxy, Campos was one of the first big names signed by MLS ahead of the inaugural season. He helped LA reach the first MLS Cup final, a game where the Galaxy blew a 2-0 lead to fall in extra time to DC.
Campos spent two years in LA, leading the league in goals against average in 1996. After 1997, he was traded to Chicago. LA won the Shield without him, and Campos couldn’t hold down the starting gig in the Windy City, losing it to Zach Thornton. He was shipped back to Mexico - Pumas, to be precise - late in the season, and he’d enjoy another few years of football before retiring in 2004.
Duilio Davino
Dallas, 2008
A one-year MLS guy, Davino was a Club América guy much like Blanco. Unlike Blanco, he didn’t have much of an MLS impact, a defender for a Dallas side that missed the playoffs. He signed a two-year deal, but dipped after one.
Giovani dos Santos
Galaxy, 2015-2018
2015 is, in my opinion, the most important year in MLS history, a turning point that made MLS into what it is today.
That most important year largely came due to the introduction of Targeted Allocation Money, a new roster mechanism that allowed for added depth. TAM was added partially to facilitate for the Galaxy’s signing of 26-year-old Giovani, who would’ve given them four DPs (after Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard, and Omar Gonzalez; TAM allowed LA to buy down Gonzalez).
Ironically, this transfer showed that the Galaxy were not ready for this new mechanism. There had always been questions about Giovani’s work ethic, and it was evident in LA. True, he was Best XI in 2016, but the rest of his stint in Carson was marred by lackadaisical play. While other MLS teams used TAM to add more quality and depth to the rosters, the Galaxy used theirs to sign a flat-out unnecessary basket case whose laziness was a huge factor in their 2017 wooden spoon.
Jonathan dos Santos
Galaxy, 2017-2021
His brother, on the other hand, was never criticized for laziness. Signed in the middle of the lost 2017 season as a last-ditch attempt to sway casuals from supporting the incoming expansion LAFC, he was a very solid defensive mid in this league when healthy, sold plenty of shirts, and even scored a game-winner in the 2019 playoffs against Minnesota.
The main issue with Jonathan was that he was not healthy often enough. When Galaxy signed Rayan Raveloson last year, the writing was on the wall.
Missael Espinoza
San Jose, 1996
Another inaugural season guy, Espinoza was only on loan with the then-Clash in ‘96, but he more than showed he was capable in the infant league. He scored ten goals in 26 matches for San Jose, and was named team MVP.
MLS never made his loan from Chivas permanent, and he’d spend the rest of his career in Liga MX. Without him, the 1997 Clash missed the playoffs, in an era where 80% of teams qualified.
Marco Fabián
Philadelphia, 2019
A low-risk, high-reward move for Philly that actually ended up being rated…oddly.
On a one year deal, Fabián was meant to be a stopgap until one of the young Union prospects was ready, but early season suspension and injuries led to an 18 year old homegrown stealing the starting job from the Mexican. That being said, he did still score seven regular season goals, not including his game-winner to give Philadelphia their first-ever playoff win. The team didn’t pick up his option, handing the keys to that 18 year old, a kid by the name of Brenden Aaronson.
If you ask most Union fans, Fabián was a disappointment. But it’s more complex than that, at least in my view.
Carlos Hermosillo
Galaxy, 1998-1999
In terms of goals scored, the 1998 LA Galaxy were the best offensive team in MLS history. The team’s deep, diverse set of weapons put up the MLS record 85 goals in 32 games, two fewer games played than 2019 LAFC, who also scored 85.
With the dominance of Wélton, Cobi Jones, and Mauricio Cienfuegos, and age acting against his playing time further, 34-year-old Hermosillo still put up 6 goals in 18 games for the ‘98 Galaxy, followed by another 8 in 16 in ‘99. That doesn’t include his 5 playoff goals, including two braces.
Javier Hernández (Chicharito)
Galaxy, 2020-present
The biggest Mexican name in MLS today. El Tri’s all time top scorer. One of Manchester United’s greatest supersubs. The highest paid player in MLS when he signed, a signing that saw ticket and merch sales skyrocket.
And his MLS career started downright poorly. In the COVIDified 2020 season, the Little Pea found the back of the net just twice in 12 games.
His mental struggles that season are well-documented, not only from COVID and his slump, but the death of his grandfather. And in 2021, he made those struggles but a distant memory with 17 goals in 21 games, including a hat trick against the Red Bulls. Had he stayed healthy, he would’ve won the Golden Boot and dragged a very mediocre Galaxy side to the playoffs.
He’s already off to a great start in 2022 with a late winner to beat NYC.
Luis Hernández
Galaxy, 2000-2003
Quick caveat - Hernández only actually played for LA in 2000 and 2001; he was loaned out for the last two years of his deal.
Much like the previous Hernández, Chicharito, Luis struggled some in his first season, with 4 goals in 16 games. He was huge for the Galaxy in 2001, though, topping the team with 8 goals in the shortened regular season and scoring a couple of big playoff goals. In fact, he’s the only player on this list to score in the MLS Cup Final, a final the Galaxy lost to San Jose.
He was loaned out after the season for the remainder of his contract. Replacement Carlos Ruiz ate the league for breakfast in 2002 and practically carried LA to its first title.
Rafa Márquez
New York RB, 2010-2012
Oh dear.
Rafa was already a US soccer villain when he arrived in MLS in 2010. How he treated the league only made it worse.
It’s kind of fitting that he joined the team the same season as Thierry Henry, because the two couldn’t be any more different. Henry respected the league, the club, and the fans in a way Márquez never did. Rafa was often either suspended, injured, or just didn’t care for much of his time with Metro.
His last act in New York was getting sent off in the legendary 2012 Eastern semifinal against DC for a totally unnecessary tackle. He has called the decision to join MLS the worst of his career, thinking he was declining faster than he was.
Ironic for a guy that was pretty average at best in said league.
Francisco Palencia
Chivas USA, 2005-2006
It’s kind of funny to think about, but Palencia was actually the highest paid player in the league before 2007 kicked off the DP era. Playing for CHIVAS USA.
His arrival was delayed; he was intended to be a part of the expansion roster, but the mothership in Guadalajara kept him until August. The 32-year-old proved worth the wait when he scored a brace on his debut, and in his first full season Chivas USA went from one of the worst teams in MLS history to a playoff team.
In those playoffs, he scored the winner in the first leg against Houston, then went from hero to zero when he got sent off in the second leg. Dynamo scored twice after the red to knock the Goats out, and Palencia returned to Mexico to finish out his career with Pumas.
Pável Pardo
Chicago, 2011-2012
One of Mexico’s most capped and most decorated players ever, Pardo joined a Chicago team that was struggling to win. When he joined midseason, the Fire looked dead in the water, at one point only being ahead of expansion Vancouver and rebuilding New England in the standings.
But the 35 year old showed he still had some gas left in the tank. Chicago caught fire down the stretch, going from Spoon contenders to one of the hottest teams in the league almost overnight. Chicago lost just two of their last 12 and just barely missed the playoffs.
In his lone full season, the Fire returned to the playoffs as the four-seed, but lost the play-in to Houston. He retired after the season.
Gonzalo Pineda
Seattle, 2014-2015
From one d-mid on his last legs to another. 32 years old at the time, Pineda had made the 2014 Sounders on a trial, and proved to be a very valuable piece for one of MLS’s best ever teams. Mostly sitting in central midfield with Ozzie Alonso, he helped Seattle win the double in 2014, and was still playing frequently in 2015 when he chose to retire after the season.
Pineda’s continuing to grow his MLS legacy, though. After a few years as an assistant to Brian Schmetzer in Seattle, he’s now managing Atlanta United.
Rodolfo Pizarro
Inter Miami, 2020-present
Well, technically not present.
After two fairly underwhelming seasons in South Florida, Pizarro was returned to sender, joining Monterrey on loan this season.
Pizarro had his moments in MLS, but the unstable mess that Inter Miami has been around him has not helped him shake off the label of “bust.” He was constantly herked and jerked around positionally and under two different managers.
Is it possible for him to turn it around and be the great player he can be? Yeah. But I’m not sure that’s happening in Miami.
Ramón Ramírez
Chivas USA, 2005-2007
One of a myriad of players sent from the mothership to their MLS farm club, Ramírez was captain of the Goats during his first season there. It would also be the only season he played - he did not play at all in 2006 and retired in 2007.
Not really a ton to say here. He was playing for expansion 2005 Chivas, an all-time bad team, at an advanced age and never played during the window where that team was actually good.
Carlos Salcedo
RSL 2013-2014, Toronto 2022-present
So this one’s interesting. Salcedo started his pro career in MLS as an RSL homegrown, having been plucked from the Tigres academy. Then he spent a bunch of time away from MLS before returning this year.
After the 2014 season, he requested a transfer and got it to Chivas. He then pinged around Chivas and Europe for a few years before returning to Tigres as a fully-fledged professional and capped international. This offseason, he joined Toronto in a swap deal that shipped Yeferson Soteldo down south. The Reds desperately needed help in the back, and we’ll see if Salcedo is the answer.
Hugo Sánchez
Dallas 1996
Arguably El Tri’s greatest ever export, and that’s saying something. Only Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Telmo Zarra have scored more goals in La Liga than Sánchez, and he’s seventh on Real Madrid’s all time goal scoring list behind a who’s who of all-time greats. Raúl! CR7! Puskás! Di Stefano! He even had a history playing in the States, having spent a year on loan with the San Diego Sockers in NASL. That makes him one of two players (the other being Roy Wegerle) to play both in NASL and MLS.
Unfortunately, by 1996 he was injury prone and old. He wasn’t even the top scorer on the then-Burn, with his six goals second to Jason Kreis, and retired after one last season in Mexico.
Claudio Suárez
Chivas USA, 2006-2009
Mexico’s most-capped player ever, an El Tri captain, and another that came to Chivas USA in his late 30s.
He still had it, too - in his second season, he played over 2000 minutes for an excellent Chivas team that included the likes of Brad Guzan, Sacha Kljestan, Jonathan Bornstein, and Ante Razov. That team finished first in the West, but were upset in the playoffs by KC.
His playing time was greatly reduced in 2008 as his career came to a close, and he didn’t play at all in 2009 before hanging up his boots at the age of 41.
Carlos Vela
Los Angeles, 2018-present
Saving arguably the best for last.
A big fish in a small pond suits Vela extremely well. He doesn’t seem to like the pressures of being a world-superstar, and with how LA soccer gets about as much attention as LeBron James’s barber’s cat, he can show his quality without the attention.
LAFC’s first DP, he had a solid first season, but Vela’s 2019 is his magnum opus. 34 goals is of course the league record, but don’t sleep on his 15 assists, only behind Maxi Moralez and Diego Valeri in the league that year. That LAFC team played some of the best soccer an MLS team has ever played, and Vela was a huge part of it with the best individual season in MLS history.
He’s been in and out in the seasons since with injuries and such, but that season alone puts him as the greatest Mexican MLS player for me. He was the perfect DP for LAFC’s early going, and a perfect note to end this on.