Amado Guevara played some of his best soccer under Bob Bradley in New York. The hope now is that the two can capture some of that magic on the West Coast.
Chivas USA acquired Guevara from the New York Red Bulls on Monday, a move that reunited Bradley with his former high-octane midfielder.
"He was a player that we talked about. As is so often the case in our league, you have to be ready when certain opportunities present themselves," Bradley said on Monday. "He had a pretty good finish to the season. It was not clear if the Red Bulls were going to be willing to let him know."
In the end, the Red Bulls sent Guevara to Chivas in exchange for a designated player slot and a third-round pick in the 2007 SuperDraft. As such, Chivas became the first MLS team to use the slot.
Instead of bringing in a high-profile player from overseas whose price tag would potentially count only partially against the club's salary cap, Chivas chose to ship the slot for a former MLS Most Valuable Player.
"When the competition committee came up with some new guidelines as far as designated players, it created an opportunity that worked well for Chivas USA," Bradley said. "You have to be ready to sometimes move when the opportunities present themselves. Everyone is still sort of thinking about how to use the designated player slot. We felt that the opportunity to bring Amado here at this moment was real important."
While speculation swirls around the Red Bulls and their reported interest in players such as Luis Figo, Ronaldo and Claudio Reyna, Bradley was content with his former prodigy. The Honduras international joined the MetroStars in 2003, Bradley's first year at the helm. Guevara's first season provided Bradley and Guevara a solid foundation, as he scored three goals and added 10 assists.
The next year, Guevara blossomed into a star. In 24 games, Guevara had 10 goals and 10 assists and was named league MVP for his efforts. Guevara bested those numbers the following year as he had 11 goals and 11 assists. Bradley, though, was fired as the MetroStars were in a battle for the final Eastern Conference playoff slot.
Rumors swirled before the 2006 season about a possible move to Chivas for Guevara but nothing came of them.
Instead, Guevara spent the season with the Red Bulls. In May, Guevara made headlines after he was subbed out in the 55th minute in a match against Chicago. Guevara left the field, changed out of his uniform and watched the end of the match from the stands.
Nevertheless, Guevara still pieced together a solid campaign. He finished the year with eight goals and five assists and was named MLS Player of the Month in October. It was not until after the campaign when Chivas had more to offer New York that the trade came to fruition.
Bradley said the club has received a talented player who will make a difference in 2007.
"Amado is still one of the most talented players in MLS. He's shown that he's got the ability to create plays going forward, score goals, set up goals. He's good on set pieces in terms of free kicks, penalty kicks," Bradley said. "Everyone who has played with him in the league recognizes his talent. He's earned the respect of his opponents. We feel like he's a very good player who will fit in well with our team."
Guevara will replace Juan Pablo Garcia in the Chivas midfield. Garcia, who scored eight goals and had six assists last season, will either be in Europe or Mexico next season, Bradley said.
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
