Las Vegas’ Robert Sagel thrilled to play for Houston Dynamo

Robert Sagel had no one to hug when his name popped up on the Major League Soccer website.

Sagel was alone in his Las Vegas home when he found out he was drafted by the Houston Dynamo in the fourth round of the MLS Superdraft on Tuesday morning.

“My parents were at work when it happened,” Sagel said. “I was just hanging out and looking through the MLS website. I had hope of being drafted, but I really had no idea. Then I saw my name. It was an exciting moment.”

Sagel, a defender at Penn State, received confirmation a few minutes later when the Dynamo called to welcome him to the Houston franchise. That’s when the congratulatory text messages flooded in.

“My parents were so excited for me,” said Sagel, the fourth pick in the final round. “They’ve always been there for me, and now I get to share this dream of mine with them. I was thrilled Houston called, and I can’t wait to get over there.”

It’s hard to plan for a draft party on a weekday morning, but Sagel probably won’t have time for a postdraft celebration, either. He flies to Houston on Monday morning and will play in his first preseason professional match the following day.

Sagel tried to stay positive when he wasn’t selected in the first two rounds on the first day of the draft last week. He assumed he was going to Real Salt Lake or not drafted at all.

“You try to stay away from the mock drafts, but I couldn’t,” Sagel said. “I saw Real Salt Lake on one mock, and I was set on going there. In the back of my mind, I was prepared to go undrafted and fight my way in. I didn’t have to when Houston called. I had a great time when I played a high school tournament in Houston. Perfect fit.”

Sagel played his freshman and sophomore years at Bonanza High School before transferring to Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minnesota. Sagel’s older brother, Billy, played soccer and graduated from Bonanza in 2010.

“I had an opportunity to go to Minnesota after my freshman year, but playing another high school season with my brother was important to me,” Sagel said. “Then I started my own journey.”

Sagel started every match but one in his two years at Penn State. He was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team for his senior season.

The Las Vegan started his collegiate career at Temple, where he was a team captain for the Owls in 2014.

“It was awesome playing for Temple,” Sagel said. “It was a great fit, but I needed another challenge. Playing in the Big Ten gave me that. It pushed me to play my best every day, and that’s what I needed to have a chance at the pro level.”

Sagel played for more than 10 years with the Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club.

“That’s where it started for me,” he said. “I wanted to play soccer with my brother. My dad was a coach, and my mom took me to all my games. We’re a soccer family.”

GOMEZ RETIRES FROM SOCCER

Las Vegas native Herculez Gomez announced his retirement Tuesday, ending a 14-year professional career.

Gomez, who played at Las Vegas High School, won two MLS Cup titles, a Mexican league championship and is best remembered for his stint with the U.S. men’s national soccer team at the World Cup in 2010.

Gomez will start a new career as a soccer analyst for ESPN.

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0492. Follow @gmanzano24 on Twitter.