The Legend of El Lobo (Part 2)
A continuation of my conversation with Amado Guevara
Before getting started, if you haven’t checked out Part 1 of Amado’s story, I have linked it below so you can catch up! We ended Part 1 with El Lobo leading Honduras to a historic 3rd place finish at the 2001 Copa America. Despite this incredible achievement, Los Catrachos needed to refocus as they were in the middle of 2002 World Cup Qualifying.
A golden generation falls short
After a loss to Costa Rica (in which Amado had a first-half brace), four games were remaining in the Concacaf hexagonal. Honduras was sitting tied for 3rd (only the top 3 would advance to the 2002 World Cup). Despite a difficult run of games awaiting them, including away matches against the US and Mexico, hopes were still high in Honduras. That team is still widely considered the greatest generation of players in La H’s history.
In addition to Amado Guevara, Honduras had:
Carlos Pavón - arguably Honduras’ greatest player of all time, was playing in Serie A with Udinese, and ran away with the 2002 WCQ golden boot with 15 goals.
Tyson Nuñez - just returned from an unfortunate spell at Sunderland (detailed in our profile on him here) and is Honduras’ 3rd all-time leading scorer.
Rambo de León - played in Italy for a decade and was lifting Reggina back to Serie A at the time.
David Suazo - La Pantera was in the early phase of his Italian career with Cagliari at this time and would go on to play at Inter Milan.
Noel Valladares - He was settling into the starting keeper role and would go on to succeed Amado as La H captain and amass 135 caps.
For fans of Honduras, I know I am leaving out several legends from this team - it just goes to show how special this group was. When I asked Amado what made this team so unique, he explained that, in large part, was the work of manager Ramon Maradiaga (who captained Honduras at the 1982 World Cup) and his staff. He explained the futbol the team played brought Ramon a lot of joy. As Amado rattled off the names of the players on that team, it was hard to imagine how they fell short of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.
In their first game after Copa America, they traveled to the US and beat the USMNT 3-2 carried by two goals from Tyson Nuñez. A few days later they beat Jamaica and were sitting in second place with two games to play…one against Trinidad & Tobago at home and then finishing at the Azteca versus Mexico. Going into the first game against T&T, most Hondurans were already penciling in a win and looking toward the finale with Mexico.
Trinidad & Tobago had only managed to get one point from their first 8 games and they were traveling to San Pedro Sula to play at mid-day. At this time, playing there during the heat of the day was unbearable and it was somewhat of a fortress for La H. Watching replays of this game is a painful experience for Catrachos - the number of times their shots hit the post or Shaka Hislop made a diving save are almost too many to count. They simply weren’t going to score that day. On the other side, T&T had Stern John (legendary Concacaf striker and my favorite player as a kid) and he scored a golazo in the second half that would be the difference. Honduras fell 1-0.
It would all come down to a trip to the Azteca. Honduras and Mexico were tied for third and their matchup would determine who would advance to the 2002 World Cup. Honduras wouldn’t have the tie-breaker, so they needed a win. While they had some confidence from beating Mexico 3-1 earlier in qualifying, the loss to T&T shook them. Over 100,000 people packed into the Azteca that day and the odds were stacked against them.
Honduras was able to hold Mexico off in the first half and entered the break tied 0-0. Just after the hour mark though, the legendary Cuauhtémoc Blanco opened the scoring and Mexico followed that up with another goal just 7 minutes later. Things were unraveling for Honduras…and then it got even worse. Mexican midfielder Johan Rodriguez, known for his combative style of play, put in a terrible challenge on El Lobo. Amado did not take too kindly to this and they were both sent off with just 15 minutes to play. Mexico would go on to add another goal and win 3-0. And just like that, Honduras missed out on the 2002 World Cup.
When I spoke to Amado about missing that World Cup, he put into perspective how important it would have been for Honduras if they had qualified, “I think it would have marked a lot for all that generation, and especially for the country, because maybe we would have qualified two, three, four more times, after that, because of the level, because of the age we all had.”
It’s hard to know what Honduras could’ve done at the 2002 World Cup with their talent and togetherness. They split games with the US and Mexico during qualifying, and both those teams met in the Round of 16. Unfortunately, Honduras would go on to miss out on the 2006 World Cup as well…I think Amado was right when he said that the 2002 qualification could have changed everything.
Coming to America
Shortly after 2002 World Cup Qualifying, Amado made the move from Zacatepec to legendary Costa Rican club Saprissa. In that season, El Lobo established himself as a fan favorite and continued his pattern of scoring goals and creating for other players. After just one season there, Amado made a move that would change the course of his career and open up a path for other Honduran footballers for years to come!
In 2003, the NY/NJ MetroStars of MLS signed Amado and he made the move to the United States. When he arrived, the legendary Eddie Pope was the captain and they built a great relationship (one that would become important again in his career). Despite it being a period of transition and adaptation, Amado contributed greatly that first season with 4g/10a in MLS play and 4g/2a in the MetroStars run to the US Open Cup Final (including a brace in their semifinal win over rivals DC United). Amado knew that the team could do more, “I knew that we could mark something important in 2004.”
During our discussion of his time in MLS, I asked Amado about what it was like playing on that turf in Giants Stadium and lamented about MLS teams still using turf today…he reminded me that the turf fields of today are much better than the ones they played on back in the early 2000s. I guess we can celebrate that progress. It gave me a lot of joy when told me that Crew Stadium (where my love for the beautiful game began) had the best field in the league. Anyway...this isn’t a story about MLS pitches, I digress.
In the 2004 pre-season, the MetroStars traveled to Spain to take part in La Manga Cup (a competition mostly made up of Scandinavian teams). The MetroStars dominated the tournament and became the first MLS team to win a tournament off of North American soil. Amado was named MVP…a precursor to the success he would have that season. Between the La Manga Cup and opening day for MLS, El Lobo also celebrated another milestone - his wedding! Amado told me about the importance of that and the influence and motivation it brought, “The truth is that it was a very beautiful year.”
On the pitch, Amado was unstoppable. He was dominating the league with assists, golazos from outside the box, and ice in his veins from the penalty spot. Mid-way through the year, he was elected to the MLS All-Star team and he put on a show with 2 goals and an assist to lead the East to the title and earn himself All-Star game MVP honors.
In the second half of that year, he didn’t slow down leading the MetroStars to the playoffs. He ended the year as MLS scoring champion with 10g/10a in league play to earn himself an MLS Best XI spot AND he was named league MVP for the 2004 season (as you can see, the MVP trophies were starting to pile up). Despite the great season for Amado, the MetroStars were bounced by DC United 4-0 on aggregate in the playoffs. While some remember 2004 as the year of Freddy Adu in MLS - it was the year of Amado Guevara. El Lobo had established himself as the best midfielder in the league and showed no signs of slowing down.
He continued at this high level in 2005, dominating the midfield of most games he played in. Amado had 12g/11a across all competitions! Unfortunately, it was not a great season for the MetroStars as manager Bob Bradley was fired and they were knocked out early in the playoffs again. The 2006 season began with new Red Bull ownership and a misunderstanding with then GM Alexi Lalas. After patching things up, Amado helped turn the season around as he scored 6 goals in the final 4 games (including a decision day hat-trick) to lead them into the playoffs.
After 4 seasons in New York, Amado was traded to Chivas USA, and was then loaned back to Motagua where he began his career. During that loan, Amado led Motagua to their first-ever UNCAF Interclub Cup (the premier regional competition for Central American clubs). He was given a fresh start in MLS again to begin the 2008 season as he was traded to Toronto FC. He quickly became a fan favorite there and contributed 9g/10a across the two seasons he played there. After the 2009 season, it was time to return home to Motagua on a permanent deal and his time in MLS came to an end.
Over his 7 years in MLS, Amado had 90 goal contributions (43g/47a)! Beyond the incredible goals and individual accolades, I believe Amado’s most important legacy was the path he created for other Hondurans in the MLS. 2001 MLS MVP, Alex Pineda Chacón, certainly cracked the door open and Amado, with his success in the league, blew it wide open and held it for others. Since Amado made his debut in MLS, close to 40 Honduran footballers have played in the league and it has become a platform for many of those players to make their careers or propel them to even bigger stages!
Earning his Ph.D. in fútbol
During Amado’s last few seasons in MLS, Honduras was in the thick of 2010 World Cup qualifying. Before that qualification cycle, he was not planning to continue with La Selección for a fourth attempt at making it to the World Cup - in his mind, three was enough. Something changed though, “when the coach comes around and I see the whole structure…I see a better organization, I see better planning, and we decided to keep going to give ourselves the last chance.” Honduras had hired former Colombia manager Reinaldo Rueda to oversee that cycle and Amado was convinced that they could do great things!
Honduras was breezing through qualifying and won their round 3 group that included Mexico, Jamaica, and Canada to advance to the Hexagonal (where they had fallen short in 2002). This time, the team was anchored by Amado and other veterans from the 2002 golden generation like Pavón, Suazo, Rambo, and Valladares and supported by newer stars like Carlo Costly, Maynor Figueroa, Emilio Izaguirre, and Wilson Palacios.
The Hex started slow for Los Catrachos with a loss to Costa Rica and a draw at Trinidad & Tobago, but a 3-1 victory against Mexico in San Pedro Sula gave the team the confidence it needed to press on! Honduras won 3 straight games in matchdays 5-7 which left them tied for first place with just 3 games to play. The qualification dream was within their grasp but they would face tough games against Mexico, USMNT, and El Salvador to close.
La H lost a close 1-0 game at the Azteca but it was a game that they played well in and they were going back to their fortress in San Pedro for the game against the US. Honduras took a 1-0 lead early in the second half but the USMNT would go on to score 3 goals in just 15 minutes. Rambo de León bagged his brace and just minutes later Carlos Pavón had a chance to tie the game from the penalty spot…and he sailed it as they lost 3-2. The nightmare that Honduran fans lived through just 8 years prior was now top of mind…would they fall just short of qualifying again?
After the game, Amado was at the hotel with Reinaldo Rueda and as soon as the elevator door closed, the manager began to cry. There was so much riding on this team and they were carrying the hopes of a nation, one that was just a few months removed from a coup, and the thought of failing to qualify again was overwhelming. Going into the final matchday, Honduras needed to beat El Salvador and hope that the US would get a win or draw against Costa Rica to qualify. Destiny was not in their hands but as the captain, Amado knew he needed to keep the team focused and prepared for their game.
Honduras would get the eventual game-winner they needed in the second half against El Salvador, but things were not looking good as Costa Rica was beating the US 2-0 at the break. After the final whistle blew in their game, all La H could do was sit and wait for news to break in the other game. The US pulled a goal back and trailed 2-1 as the game entered extra time….then a miracle happened. US defender Jonathan Bornstein scored in the final seconds to tie the game and send Honduras to their first World Cup since 1982! Check out the video How One Late Goal Awoke 9 Million People below from COPA90 for all the details of that amazing night and how Bornstein became a cult hero in Honduras.
Fast forward to the summer of 2010, and Amado and his team arrived in South Africa for the greatest spectacle in all of sport. Honduras had a lot working against them from the start. They had several key players carrying injuries into the tournament (Rambo de León and Carlo Costly had to drop out of the squad just before the tournament). They were also in a group with Spain (reigning European champs and eventual World Cup winners), Chile (led by Marcelo Bielsa and a golden generation in their early stages), and a tough Switzerland team that won their qualifying group. El Lobo knew the situation, but before the tournament, he reminded everyone that Honduras wasn’t going to just participate, they were going to compete!
As the captain of this team, Amado did not just have the on-field pressures that every captain at the World Cup deals with. He also had to carry the weight of, and answer many questions about, the recent coup in Honduras. In a day and time where a country, and even families, were divided taking sides, Amado pushed for unity. In one interview, he explained “We wanted to get Honduras in the news not for the bad things but for actual positives that are happening. Hopefully, this will get the country inspired and motivated to unite the country and keep it united.” In another, he said: “As captain of the national team, more than anything I hope for normality; for the people to be unified and for things to go back to the way they were; for the problems to be resolved; and for peace.”
In their opening game against Chile, Amado led them onto the field and El Himno Nacional played at the World Cup for the first time in 28 years (take a look). The first half was tightly contested before Honduras gave up an unfortunate goal off of a deflected clearance. In the second half, they couldn’t get anything going and Carlos Pavón had to be subbed out due to injury (it would be his last international cap) and they fell 1-0.
In their second game, Honduras had to face Spain (who were motivated after a surprise loss to Switzerland). An early wondergoal from David Villa left Honduras playing catch-up and after he buried another goal early in the second half, it was all but over. Los Catrachos got stuck in and stopped the bleeding to not allow any more goals from the powerful Spanish attack, but they lost 2-0. After the game, both David Villa and legendary manager Vicente del Bosque took the time to connect with Amado and tip their cap.
That night, El Lobo walked off the pitch for the final time wearing La H. In their final game against Switzerland, Reinaldo Rueda went with a different squad leaving Amado and other starters on the bench. They came close to scoring a few goals but the game ended in a scoreless draw and Honduras’ journey at the 2010 World Cup had come to a close. Despite finishing at the bottom of their group, they never looked out of place and made the nation proud.
While Amado was reflecting on that tournament, he told me it was like getting his Ph.D. in futbol.
“My graduation was all the titles I won at Motagua and abroad, my master’s degree was the Copa America, and my Ph.D. was in the World Cup…what else could I achieve?… I think having qualified for the World Cup and playing at the World Cup was the final point in a career of many blessings.”
After the World Cup, Amado would go on to play in Honduras with Motagua for 3 more years (reuniting with Ramón Maradiaga) which included appearances in Concacaf Champions League and a 2011 Clausura title (including 2 goals in the championship against arch-rivals Olimpia). After his time there, he signed to play with Marathón where he played one season before officially retiring in 2014.
In reflecting on his playing career as a whole, Amado shared:
“I have to thank God infinitely because first, He gave me the gift of playing football. Second, He gave me health, because it was 21 years, uninterrupted, that I played with minor injuries, but I was able to do it without ever missing. And third, everything I had achieved, especially as a person and all the brothers and sisters, all the friendships I had made. And the truth is that... it's a blessing, isn't it? And now to continue in this new stage, because I hope that it will be the same or better than what it was as a player, right?”
Touchline transition
When Amado mentioned his “new stage” he referred to his career on the other side of the touchline. Being team captain for club and country for so many years, paired with his ability to read the game, made Amado a de facto assistant for most of his career. Before he retired as a player, he began taking his coaching courses, obtaining licenses, and was an official coaching assistant during his final years playing at Motagua. That is where he got his first taste of coaching - and he enjoyed it!
As soon as his playing career ended, the manager for Honduras at that time, Jorge Luis Pinto, approached Amado about becoming part of the team’s technical staff. Pinto saw a lot of potential in him. Amado told him “I appreciate it a lot, I'm interested, I would like it, but I only have a B license and he told me not to worry, I'll teach you what you need, I'll teach you.” El Lobo was wearing La H again!
As with all former players, there are all sorts of transitions to the coaching side. Logistically, Amado told me about the change from receiving information and acting on it as a player to being the one transmitting information to the players on the team and preparing them to execute. There were also more practical changes. Amado told me that in one of the first training sessions, he showed up with his tacos (cleats) and shin guards ready for anything. Pinto came over to him and said, “No, you're not a player anymore, you're a coach, so take all that off and put on your whistle, your timer, and your whiteboard.”
Amado explained all the ways Pinto helped him in those early years. “He was my mentor, a great teacher, a counselor, and someone that I really appreciated at that stage as a coach.” During his time coaching with Honduras, Amado gained a ton of experience and had the opportunity to be part of some historic moments. One of those was assisting Pinto at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Honduras’ U-23 team has always been strong at the Olympics, but the 2016 run they had was special.
After finishing second in their group (including a win over Algeria and a draw against Argentina) they advanced to the knockout stage. In the quarterfinal against South Korea, a young Alberth Elis scored the game’s only goal to advance to the semi-finals (see the celebrations here). In the semi-finals, Amado had the opportunity to face off against Brazil again, but this time a loaded Seleção got the better of Honduras with a 6-0 win. In the bronze medal match, Honduras faced Nigeria for the opportunity to get on the podium and earn Honduras their first-ever Olympic medal. Unfortunately, they lost 3-2, but it was an experience Amado and that team would never forget.
Beyond the Olympics, Amado assisted Pinto during the 2018 World Cup Qualifying. In fact, Amado took charge of La H for 5 games during that qualifying cycle due to Pinto being suspended. Those were valuable experiences and lessons for Amado as he led his country in high-pressure moments. He remembered one game in particular against Canada in San Pedro Sula where they trailed 1-0 and it seemed like El Lobo the player was taking over for Amado the manager. He was so excited and invested in the game and he kept giving the team instructions and correcting them, when another coach came up and told him, “Coach, I know you have a desire to play, but you are on the field.” Amado turned around and realized that in the emotion of it all he had entered the pitch.
Over time, the transition became easier and Amado began to find pleasure in just being a coach. He began soaking up knowledge anywhere he could find it and looking for opportunities to grow. Shortly after Honduras lost to Australia in the inter-confederation playoff and missed out on the 2018 World Cup, one of those opportunities arose. He became the manager of the Puerto Rican senior and U20 national teams.
He entered Puerto Rico at a difficult time - they were still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and he did not have many resources at his disposal. In his second match with the senior team, they made their emotional return to the island and played their first home game since 2017. In Concacaf Nations League qualifying, he led Puerto Rico in 4 very close defeats and they were unable to qualify for the tournament. This coincided with the Puerto Rican federation naming a new president and he ultimately decided to let Amado go.
Reflecting on that time with Puerto Rico in an interview, he said “I was able to experiment with how football works there; it turned out to be a year that left me a lot of experience and knowledge. Now I’m focused on continuing growing and searching for ways to keep learning about more working methodologies…I don’t lose hope that in the near future, I can coach again.”
In the interim of looking for a new coaching role, Amado worked with Concacaf evaluating the region’s tournaments and other national team projects. He also took some time off to focus on projects with his wife and family. Once those were completed, he was open to the possibility of coaching again. That’s when the phone rang.
Carolina Core FC
It was USMNT legend Eddie Pope, Amado’s former teammate at the MetroStars and someone he played against a lot in Concacaf competitions. Eddie asked him about his availability and if he was interested in hearing about a project. He was the Chief Sporting Officer for a new independent MLS Next Pro franchise Carolina Core FC.
As Amado listened to Eddie, he was excited about the project and about working with him again. He accepted a position as an assistant coach. I asked him about all of the Concacaf legends that are part of the staff in addition to Eddie: Roy Lassiter (Manager), Andy Williams (Head Scout), and Donovan Ricketts (GK coach). He told me:
“The truth is that it satisfies me a lot. Great people, great professionals, and above all, a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge. Being part of this technical team, personally, fills me with pride”
He spoke about each person on this staff playing unique roles, bringing in different ideas, and the experience they all have as former players and coaches. He knows that the knowledge they share and the connection they have as a staff can yield great results.
As we talked about the excitement of their inaugural season, Amado explained, that there are a lot of expectations and that the team wants to develop Carolina Core into a club as big as is within their reach. He assured his commitment to the project saying, “Believe me, that on my part, they will receive the 200% because I want to do something for this institution and this city that marks a beginning and leaves that mark.”
As El Lobo makes his return to coaching, I am excited to see how he can impact this new club and see where he goes in his coaching endeavors. One thing is for sure - I know Amado has prepared for success and greatness on this side of the touchline. Maybe even more than he had as a player. Only time will tell!
I am also very excited to follow Carolina Core FC this season. With a legendary Honduran like Amado being on the staff, that is exciting enough. Beyond that, they have so many Concacaf legends involved and they are bringing in players from around the region. Expect more content on Carolina Core FC this year!