‘El Pelado’ hoping to right ship in San Jose
Photo credit: Los Ruidos Del Deporte
The San Jose Earthquakes ended the speculation that surrounded the future of Argentinian coach Matias Almeyda. After a three-year relation with Mexican club Chivas, several media outlets placed Almeyda as a candidate to take the principal seat of Club Leon (Mexico), San Lorenzo (Argentina) or the national teams of Costa Rica, Mexico or Argentina.
However, there’s a long path between rumors and actions, and San Jose took the initiative to sign a successful coach with vast experience, especially considering his young age.
Why did the Earthquakes sign Matias Almeyda?
Almeyda, 45, joins a club that is located at the bottom of the table. With 20 units, San Jose has the fewest points in MLS. Almeyda is a coach that enjoys challenges; he has mentioned it many times. And his record in Argentina shows that he can turn a crisis into a success story.
Almeyda’s coaching career began at the age of 37 with Argentinian club River Plate, the day after he retired from professional soccer, the same day that River Plate was relegated to Primera B.
The board decided to promote Almeyda from team captain to head coach. And in one year, he took River Plate back to the first division. “El Pelado,” as Almeyda is known, kept his position to lead River Plate in Primera Nacional, but got sacked after 17 games.
Nevertheless, Banfield — another Primera B team — hired Almeyda at the end of the 2012-13 campaign. One full tournament was enough to promote Banfield to Primera Nacional. In his first three years as a coach, Matias Almeyda brought two clubs back to the first division.
Guiding young people is another of the vast qualities that Almeyda has as a head coach. When he conquered the Liga MX title with Chivas, “El Pelado” had a squad below with less than a 24-year-old average. The San Jose Earthquakes are the fourth-youngest squad in MLS. Almeyda will take charge of the team after the current season is over.
Almeyda knows how to motivate a juvenescent squad, how to exploit talent by changing roles or switching the tactical drawing of the team to get what he sees and wants from the players. Every team that he coached had a seal, an identity. That injection of knowledge and motivation could twist the present situation of the Quakes.
Besides his two Primera B titles and five titles with Chivas — that includes a win in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League final against Toronto FC — Almeyda is a person that is polite with people and respects the press.
San Jose and MLS took a step forward with the acquisition of Almeyda, a coach with enough credentials who was squarely on the radar of several clubs and national teams. His reputation is impeccable, his work methodology is proficient and his locker room management is praiseworthy.
Follow Luis on Twitter: @LFulloa.
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