MIAMI, Florida – Another chapter of the great Clasico in Honduran football between Olimpia and Motagua will be written when the two sides square off in the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf League semifinals, beginning with Wednesday night’s first leg.
Many great players have had the opportunity to wear the jersey for one of these sides, yet only a distinct few have represented both. One of those happens to be former GK Noel Valladares, a man who spent nine seasons with Motagua before moving to Olimpia, where he spent another 11 seasons.
“I have the good fortune and the blessing to have played in the two biggest clubs in Honduran football. It is a great privilege that God gave me and I feel very proud about having been a part of these two great institutions,” said Valladares in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.
“They are two completely different experiences. I was with Motagua for nine years and then Olimpia for 11 years. I was able to reach some great achievements with Olimpia and it was there where I experienced growth in my game as a more mature goalkeeper and footballer. Motagua is where I got my start and is where I learned so much, so I’ll always have great respect and affection for Motagua,” added Valladares.
Like so many in Honduras, Valladares is eagerly anticipating the two-legged series between the two rivals, who also faced each other in the 2020 SCL quarterfinal in a match won by Olimpia, 2-0.
“It will be a very interesting series. In the entire country Olimpia and Motagua are two of the biggest teams and are representing Honduras in this international tournament. That brings a lot of joy to all of the people who like football in Honduras. Both fan bases are filled with expectations. When they play here in the domestic league, they are usually very close games with few goals. We’re all anxious to see the performance of both teams at this international level in the Concacaf League and hopefully both teams do their part and present a great spectacle,” said Valladares.
No stranger to the intensity and razor-thin margins involved in a Clasico, Valladares believes it will come down to the team that can play the most error-free football.
“They are very close games, so I think the team that makes fewer mistakes will have the advantage. These are two teams that care a lot about winning or losing a Clasico. In these games it’s all about whichever strategy can be used to be able to win, and we just hope that the fans win by seeing two great games,” said Valladares.
Many forget that Valladares spent a part of his young career at Motagua playing as a striker, a position where he had great success, including a memorable late goal versus Olimpia to help earn his side a place in the 2003 Torneo Clausura Final.
However, while there is not a particular Clasico that Valladares remembers the most, he does vividly recall his first game wearing the Olimpia shirt against Motagua.
“I remember a play from that game when Motagua had a corner kick from the left side. I came out for the ball, I got it and when I was running forward to re-start play, Milton Reyes, who was with Motagua, came up my left side. When I extended my arm with the ball to continue playing, I almost gave it to him, but I was able to re-gather the ball. If not, it would have always been part of Honduran football,” said Valladares with a chuckle.
Valladares was also no stranger to playing big Concacaf games. As a member of Olimpia, he appeared in 23 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League matches, including in the 2010-11 SCCL when he helped Olimpia reach the quarterfinals. The bright lights of Concacaf play always seemed to bring out the best in Valladares, who had six clean sheets in his SCCL career.
“They are special games because they are games that are widely seen. People get to know the players from different countries and different teams. There is always an extra motivation to do things well and to excel in that kind of game. That’s what a footballer aspires to, to play for something more, something bigger, at a higher level and with bigger teams. There is also the fact that it gives the fan bases a chance to say, ‘This is the best team in all of Central America.’ And now with the internet and social media, these games are lived and experienced to the fullest,” concluded Valladares.