Amado Guevara
| Amado Guevara | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Amado Guevara | ||
| Position(s) | attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Red Bull New York | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of March 2006 | |||
Amado Guevara (born May 2, 1976 in Tegucigalpa) is a Honduran football (soccer) midfielder, who currently plays in Major League Soccer for Red Bull New York. He is the all-time cap leader for the Honduran national team.
Guevara is nicknamed El Lobo. He was named the tournament MVP after leading Honduras to a surprise third place finish in the Copa America 2001, the Honduran team (a last minute call-up when Argentina dropped out a day before kickoff on July 11, 2003) arrived after the tournament started and just few hours before its first game with barely enough players. On monday July 23, 2001 (in the quaterfinals round) Honduras defeated Brazil (the favorite to win the tournament) by a score of 2-0. The defeat sent the Brazilians home and the Hondurans advanced to the semifinals.
Currently Guevara is the captain of the Honduran national team, he has scored 18 goals in 92 caps.
Career
Prior to signing with the MetroStars, Guevara played all over the world: in Honduras with Motagua, Spain with Real Valladolid, Mexico with Tigres and Zacatepec, and Costa Rica with Saprissa. He was signed by the MetroStars on April 11, 2003.
While playing with Saprissa, he was a fan favorite, and is still remembered for his amazing skills. He had to leave the team because of the rule implemented by the "Morados" after 2003, by which they could only use Costa Rican players in their team.
Guevara immediately stepped into the MetroStars team and produced. Although he finished the season with only three goals and ten assists (he added another goal in the playoffs), he became the focal point of the team; they were successful when the offense flowed through him. Guevara added four key goals and two assists in the U.S. Open Cup, leading the Metros to the first final of any sort in the team's history.
Guevara tallied ten goals (six on penalties) and ten assists in his sophomore season. Guevara not only tied for the league lead in scoring, he was also named MLS's MVP. In 2005, Amado procuded another solid season for the Metros, with 11 goals and 11 assists, and added a goal in the playoffs.
In early 2006, a conflict arose between Guevara and the MetroStars. The club allowed him to train with Motagua, but Amado played for the Honduran club in a number of friendly matches, which might or might not have been permitted. Guevara lashed out in the Honduran press at the Metros' GM Alexi Lalas. But the two patched things up and Guevara remained in New York for the 2006 season. He received his green card in March 2006 and no longer counts as a foreign player for Red Bull.
During the last game of the Red Bulls season, Guevara scored 3 goals, a hat trick, to help them win 3-2 and excell to the playoffs before losing 2-1 in the first round to DC United.
Honors
Personal
- Major League Soccer MVP Award: 1 (2004)
- MLS Best XI: 1 (2004)
- MLS Scoring Champion Award: 1 (2004)
- MLS All-Star Game MVP: 1 (2004)
- Copa America MVP: 1 (2001)
National
- 3rd place at Copa América: 1 (2001)
Club
- Champion of Liga Nacional de Honduras with Motagua: 4 (1997-98 Ap., 1997-98 Cl., 1999-2000 Ap., 1999-2000 Cl.)