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Ronnie Amaguana back at Harbour View
... hopes to win title after dramatic 2006 collapseBy Howard Walker Observer writer
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Harbour View's Ronnie Amaguana has returned to local football after a one-year hiatus due to the death of his father who passed away last December.
Ronnie Amaguana (right) and team-mate Jermaine Hue at a practice session at Harbour View recently.
Amaguana, 29, told the Sunday Observer that last year his father got ill and he had to cut his season short to be by his father's side. The senior Amaguana was ailing from cancer.
"Last year, unfortunately my father got ill so I had to be there," he said while taking a short break during training at the Harbour View Mini Stadium on Wednesday. "He passed away December of last year, but now I am back".
Amaguana, who was born in the United States of Ecuadorian parents, said his love affair with Jamaica started while he was playing in the USA "A" League with Virginia Beach Mariner in 2003 where he met Barrington 'Cobra' Gaynor.
"When I was playing in the "A" League in the States, my agent was a good friend with Barrington Gaynor, who coached Bull Bay. He said he was looking forward to me coming and playing with them," he said, while taking a sip from his water bottle moments after he was drilled around the field by trainer Andrew 'Bowa' Hines.
The following year he was here playing with Bull Bay in the KSAFA Super League. "I played with Bull Bay and went back to the States. I got injured and when I came back 'Cobra' was at Harbour View, so that's how I played for Harbour View," explained Amaguana.
Amaguana had just outpaced star player Jermaine Hue around the field every time they were asked to sprint, while being timed. At one point, Robert Scarlett, who saw Hue's plight, as he tried in vain to keep up to Amaguana's pace, started shouting words of encouragement to Hue in an attempt to get by Amaguana, but to no avail.
With sweat running down his small-framed body, Amaguana, who stands at 5'7", said he was a part of US Major Soccer League (MSL) outfit DC United Reserves and even played a game against New York Red Bulls.
Amaguana, who played at right back for Harbour View in the 2006 season, actually started out as a midfielder while at Montgomery College and even plays forward while captaining the Maryland Tigers in the just concluded Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL).
The last time Amaguana was here playing for Harbour View, he saw a 13-point lead dwindled and eventually surpassed by Waterhouse, which went on to win the title by five points.
"The last time I played it was like a disgrace when we lost after leading. But it's really nice, the Harbour View camp has welcomed me back and I can't wait to win the title with them," he said.
The following year Harbour View went on to capture the league by 10 points under then new coach Lenworth Hyde, while Amaguana was away.
Although Hyde did not coach Amaguana, what he has seen of him so far, he has been impressed with, although he arrived late for the pre-season.
"Right now we are just working on his physical because he is not ready, but he has the quality. We just want to get him fit and fit him into the team. He is a good, disciplined professional player with a lot of knowledge and he has what it takes."
Amaguana, who said he was part of the US National youth programme, is still harbouring thoughts of earning a senior team call-up, although it might be far fetched.
"Always, I have played in the youth development, but I never got a call-up to the senior team. I mean the goal for every player is to get a call-up and represent his country and that's the ambition that I have," noted Amaguana.
But just how is Amaguana adjusting to the different culture in Jamaica. "It's been good. I have a lot of friends that are ethnic from all over the place. I played in a lot of different countries with different cultures."
Different culture or not, Amaguana, who lives in Bull Bay, has certainly adopted to the lifestyle of Jamaica and has made his mark in the premier league, proving to be a very difficult defender to get by.
The player, who can also play midfield or forward, plays the game very simply, but is very effective and reads the game very well, making him an asset to the Harbour View set-up.
... hopes to win title after dramatic 2006 collapseBy Howard Walker Observer writer
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Harbour View's Ronnie Amaguana has returned to local football after a one-year hiatus due to the death of his father who passed away last December.
Ronnie Amaguana (right) and team-mate Jermaine Hue at a practice session at Harbour View recently. Amaguana, 29, told the Sunday Observer that last year his father got ill and he had to cut his season short to be by his father's side. The senior Amaguana was ailing from cancer.
"Last year, unfortunately my father got ill so I had to be there," he said while taking a short break during training at the Harbour View Mini Stadium on Wednesday. "He passed away December of last year, but now I am back".
Amaguana, who was born in the United States of Ecuadorian parents, said his love affair with Jamaica started while he was playing in the USA "A" League with Virginia Beach Mariner in 2003 where he met Barrington 'Cobra' Gaynor.
"When I was playing in the "A" League in the States, my agent was a good friend with Barrington Gaynor, who coached Bull Bay. He said he was looking forward to me coming and playing with them," he said, while taking a sip from his water bottle moments after he was drilled around the field by trainer Andrew 'Bowa' Hines.
The following year he was here playing with Bull Bay in the KSAFA Super League. "I played with Bull Bay and went back to the States. I got injured and when I came back 'Cobra' was at Harbour View, so that's how I played for Harbour View," explained Amaguana.
Amaguana had just outpaced star player Jermaine Hue around the field every time they were asked to sprint, while being timed. At one point, Robert Scarlett, who saw Hue's plight, as he tried in vain to keep up to Amaguana's pace, started shouting words of encouragement to Hue in an attempt to get by Amaguana, but to no avail.
With sweat running down his small-framed body, Amaguana, who stands at 5'7", said he was a part of US Major Soccer League (MSL) outfit DC United Reserves and even played a game against New York Red Bulls.
Amaguana, who played at right back for Harbour View in the 2006 season, actually started out as a midfielder while at Montgomery College and even plays forward while captaining the Maryland Tigers in the just concluded Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL).
The last time Amaguana was here playing for Harbour View, he saw a 13-point lead dwindled and eventually surpassed by Waterhouse, which went on to win the title by five points.
"The last time I played it was like a disgrace when we lost after leading. But it's really nice, the Harbour View camp has welcomed me back and I can't wait to win the title with them," he said.
The following year Harbour View went on to capture the league by 10 points under then new coach Lenworth Hyde, while Amaguana was away.
Although Hyde did not coach Amaguana, what he has seen of him so far, he has been impressed with, although he arrived late for the pre-season.
"Right now we are just working on his physical because he is not ready, but he has the quality. We just want to get him fit and fit him into the team. He is a good, disciplined professional player with a lot of knowledge and he has what it takes."
Amaguana, who said he was part of the US National youth programme, is still harbouring thoughts of earning a senior team call-up, although it might be far fetched.
"Always, I have played in the youth development, but I never got a call-up to the senior team. I mean the goal for every player is to get a call-up and represent his country and that's the ambition that I have," noted Amaguana.
But just how is Amaguana adjusting to the different culture in Jamaica. "It's been good. I have a lot of friends that are ethnic from all over the place. I played in a lot of different countries with different cultures."
Different culture or not, Amaguana, who lives in Bull Bay, has certainly adopted to the lifestyle of Jamaica and has made his mark in the premier league, proving to be a very difficult defender to get by.
The player, who can also play midfield or forward, plays the game very simply, but is very effective and reads the game very well, making him an asset to the Harbour View set-up.