Honduran Olympian hitting his stride in Charlotte
J.C. Obregón Jr. can't stop scoring and I wanted to know more!
The 2024 Paris Olympics are coming to a close this weekend. Other than World Cups, the Olympics are my favorite sporting event and nothing else comes close. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the joy of watching Honduras’ soccer team compete at this year’s edition (as I had in the last four). Ahead of the games, I started reminiscing on some of the team's best moments during those tournaments (including a bronze medal match appearance in 2016).
Something else came to mind - Honduras’ run to qualify for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which they beat the United States 2-1 to earn their spot. Although they didn’t get out of the group, Los Catrachos made the nation proud and continued the rich history of the team at the summer games.
Just before the Charlotte Independence began their 2024 season, they signed J.C. Obregón Jr. He played a big part for the team that went to Tokyo and I wanted to know more about his story, his career, and what the future holds for him. It’s not often that my fandom of Honduras and my soccer coverage in the Carolinas combine, but I’m very glad it did.
Futsal, Ronaldinho, and watching Los Catrachos
J.C. was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY by his Honduran parents. His love for the game was formed from an early age, “Soccer ran in our blood and my father loved soccer and he passed it down to me” he told me. He grew up going to his dad’s adult leagues and played pickup with the other kids there.
During the long winters, he played a lot of futsal and in the summers it was street soccer. Learning the game this way benefitted J.C. - he explained, “I think that's how I've gotten my creativity as a player growing up playing futsal.” The player that inspired him growing up also got his start playing futsal… Ronaldinho.
“I think the player who made me fall in love with soccer and I used to watch his highlights or watch his games and then go out on the field and try to do his moves was Ronaldinho. I think he was my idol growing up and is my idol now. My favorite player of all time. I remember watching his YouTube highlights and then in academy games, I would go out and try his moves.”
I was interested in hearing about J.C.’s introduction to the game through pickup street soccer and futsal. For most around the globe, this is how they pick the game up. Here in the US, that is usually not the case. J.C. also found inspiration from another source - watching the Honduran national team. “I grew up in a strong Honduran household… I always remember watching the Honduran national team play either World Cup qualifiers or when they qualified for the World Cup. I remember in my living room watching the games thinking, one day I want to represent Honduras” he said.
From Upstate New York to Aguascalientes and back to the US
J.C. intentionally opted to play college soccer and attended Siena College. He told me, “It was always a goal of mine to go to college, study, and have an education. My parents always instilled that in me. That's the reason I took that route and played soccer… I knew I had the opportunity to have my education paid for.”
After a few years there, he joined the U-20 squad of Liga MX side Club Necaxa. It was a dream come true for him and his first taste of playing professionally. The experience there took his game to another level tactically, “I think that's where I gained most of my soccer IQ… I give thanks to my experience there playing in Mexico” he explained. After scoring some goals and finding success there, he returned to the States to play in the USL.
After a short stint with Rio Grande Valley FC, he signed with Hartford Athletic and this changed the course of his career. In 2021 he became the first player in club history to score double-digit goals in a season. By the time he left Hartford, he was the club’s all-time leading scorer. In reflecting on his time there, J.C. told me “I think I took another step in my career because I started getting called up to the national team as well, which had always been a dream of mine.”
Becoming an Olympian
His childhood dream of representing La H started to take shape during his time at Siena. Representatives from the Honduran federation contacted him and brought him into the U-20 team. While he was part of the camps ahead of the 2017 U-20 World Cup, he didn’t make the final roster. This wasn’t the end of his journey, though.
In 2021, J.C. made the U-23 team that would compete for a spot in the delayed 2021 Tokyo Olympics. When I asked about the emotions of representing Honduras for the first time, he told me:
“That feeling honestly was surreal. It was a bunch of emotions coming at once. It was kind of like, finally I made it. My dream came true. All the work that I put in up to this point, it paid off. So it was a surreal moment and I remember going on to that field, having La H on my chest. I got chills. I got chills.”
After winning their group, they just needed one more win to advance to the Olympics and their opponent was the United States. As we discussed that game, J.C. explained the mixed emotions he felt before kickoff, “Being born in the U.S., coming from a Honduran household, Honduran parents, I kind of represent both, honestly. I am American, but I'm also Honduran, so I carry them hand in hand… when I heard both anthems, it just felt surreal… I'm American and I’m Honduran, so I carry that naturally.”
It was a tense back-and-forth first half. Honduras was knocking but couldn’t break through. In first-half stoppage time, the opportunity came again and J.C.’s life was about to change. Honduras played a beautiful ball into the box, J.C. knew his teammate was going to win it and called for him to head it down as he darted toward the goal… sure enough, Maldonado headed the ball down into his path, and J.C. got a touch on it to give Los Catrachos the lead.
Reflecting on that goal, he told me: “That moment was another moment of a dream becoming reality. All the work that I've put in, thinking about, you know, my family, my loved ones, everyone who was watching, thinking about the whole country of Honduras, how proud everyone must be. And that was one of my proudest moments of my career so far.” Honduras would go onto beat the U.S. 2-1 to book their ticket to Tokyo.
Despite being a key part of their qualification, J.C. wasn’t sure if he would make the final squad, but once he got the news he would be part of the team, he was overjoyed. Expectations were high for the team as they had done very well at the prior two Olympics (quarterfinals and fourth place). The squad opened their group stage with a loss and needed a big result in their second game to have hopes of advancing.
Honduras found themselves down 2-1 late in the second half. J.C. came on as a sub for his Olympic debut with the team desperately needing an equalizer. After a few minutes on the pitch, he pressed New Zealand as they played out of the back and scored the ultimate hustle goal. Not only was he an Olympian, but he was now an Olympic goal-scorer.
“I remember thinking throughout the whole game, if I was going to go on, I was telling myself that I was going to go on and score a goal and change the game. And I was able to do that.” he told me.
Los Catrachos went onto win that game 3-2 but their Olympic journey ended after falling to South Korea in the group finale. As J.C. reflected on his Olympic experience, he shared:
“That experience was great… That's something that I'll be able to talk about for the rest of my life. I'll be able to tell my kids, my grandkids, you know. So it's something that goes down in history, being part of the Olympics. I think that's the proudest moment of my career so far, being able to represent Honduras in the Olympics because it is the greatest sporting event in the world. It's all the best athletes in the world and to be a part of that is a blessing and it was surreal for me.
Playing for a legendary Honduran club
After his showing at the Olympics and continued success with Hartford Athletic, the opportunity to play for one of the most storied teams in Honduras presented itself. J.C. joined Club de Fútbol Motagua for their 2023 Clausura campaign. There was a lot that went into this decision beyond the history. He wanted to take his career to another level.
Playing at Motagua meant the opportunity to take part in Concacaf Champions League (the highest level club competition in the region). It also kept him closer to the national team setup as he was looking to get his first call-up to the senior team. I asked him about playing against Tigres at El Volcán (arguably one of the best atmospheres in the region), he told me: “I think that's the best atmosphere I've ever been in so far in my career. That's something I will never forget. That atmosphere, those fans, they were singing tirelessly the 90 minutes.”
Although it was unexpected, his time at Motagua came to an end after that Clausura. In total, J.C. appeared in 8 games and scored a goal during his time with the club. Despite a less than ideal time there, J.C. doesn’t view any of it as wasted. “Obviously it didn't go as I wanted because I didn't play as much as I thought I was going to, or as I thought I needed to be able to excel. But it was valuable experience… so I just try to take the positives from it and I gained experience from it” he explained.
He returned to USL to play with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and he picked up where he left off in Hartford, scoring goals. He helped the club win the Players' Shield but his contract option was not picked up at the end of the season. After a few short stints with Motagua and Pittsburgh, J.C. found himself looking to take his goalscoring to a new club, and that’s when Charlotte Independence coach, Mike Jeffries, gave him a call.
He just keeps scoring in Charlotte
The Independence were looking for a new number nine - one that could come in and produce right away. J.C had been a proven goal-scorer in USL so he was high on that list. In that call, Jeffries laid out how J.C. could help them succeed and gave him his vision for him in the striker position. This style seemed to fit J.C.’s strengths and his former teammate, Joel Johnson, helped sell him on the team as well.
So how’s it going so far? J.C. is leading the USL League One golden boot race with 10 goals in just 12 matches. Counting all competitions (including U.S. Open Cup and USL Cup) he has scored 15 goals and the Independence sit atop the table. He won player of the month in June and might be able to get a few more of those before the season ends.
It has been a huge win for the club and for J.C. I asked him about why he thinks he is finding so much success in Charlotte and he told me:
“Mike has given me full confidence… the green light to express myself on the field. He's given me the opportunity to play. I think for any player to be productive, he has to have the opportunity first. And then if he's prepared for the moment, he's going to show his product on the field. And I think that's what I've been able to do… I'm glad that I've been able to help the team win games by scoring goals. And hopefully, I can score many more goals and help the team win more games.”
J.C. has also developed a great on-field connection with fellow Honduran, Luis Álvarez. “That's also made me feel more welcome, you know, having someone from my native country. Someone that I share culture with... we have a good connection on the field and hopefully we can grow on that and continue to score more goals and assist each other” he explained. As a fan of Honduras, it has been great to see them both thrive in Charlotte and enjoy their soccer this year!
He’s just getting started
J.C. is putting up the biggest numbers of his career and it has the potential to open new doors for him. With Los Catrachos searching for in-form goal scorers as they make push to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, this could be his chance to work his way back into the national team setup. I asked about whether his performances this year have put him in that picture and he told me, “Yeah, for sure. The contact is always there. They're always watching my games, staying on top of my form and my performances… I mean, for me, it's a dream to play for the national team, It is a goal of mine to represent the national team at the senior level. I'm hopeful that with my form, I'll be taken into consideration.”
At the club level, I am interested to see if this kind of play will turn into a move to a higher level like Liga MX, Honduras’ Liga Nacional, or Costa Rica’s Liga Promerica. J.C. has another idea in mind, “I've also always had the dream and aspiration to play at the MLS level. I think I'm an MLS talent. I just haven't had the opportunity to play at that level yet. So I'm going to continue working hard and preparing myself to be able to find that opportunity.”
At 26, a lot of player’s dreams of making their debut for the senior team or making a jump to a higher tier of club soccer might have faded, but for J.C., those dreams are alive and well. That is one of the unique things about the beautiful game. Every team, club or country, at every level needs goal scorers. If you can consistently put the ball in the back of the net, your services will be required. If he keeps his performances at this level, wins a golden boot, and helps lead the Charlotte Independence to a trophy, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make the jump at the club level or get called into a national team camp.
Regardless of the where his game takes him, I have no doubt he will continue to enjoy his soccer. Rooted in his faith, J.C. has a peace about him that helps balance contentment and ambition, “My faith is really important to me. I grew up in a Honduran household that our faith was always very strong. I grew up going to church, so it was kind of instilled in me and it gives me a sense of peace, too. My faith takes me a long way and I know it's going to take me even further,” he explained.
In addition to his faith, he is motivated to continue making his family proud. When I asked him about his “why” or the reason he plays the sport, he explained: “It would definitely be my family, especially my dad, because he instilled soccer in me. I know he aspired to be a professional soccer player as well. I think that he had the talent to do so. He just didn't get the opportunity… I try to do my best each and every day for him and I also try to allow him to enjoy this experience and live this experience of being a pro through me.”
Thanks for taking the time to check out J.C. Obregón’s story! If you’re in the Charlotte area, check out an Independence game to see him in action. In the coming weeks we will be bringing you more stories of Concacaf players in the Carolinas that you’ll want to know about!