Hernán Medford
Encyclopedia
Hernán Evaristo Medford Bryan (born May 23, 1968) is a Costa Rica
n football player and coach.
Nicknamed "Pelicano", or "Pelican", he played in several different leagues worldwide, including Serie A
of Italy (Foggia Calcio), the Yugoslav First League
(Dinamo Zagreb
), the Austrian Bundesliga (SK Rapid Wien
), La Liga
in Spain playing for Rayo Vallecano
, and the Mexican premier league
, with C.F. Pachuca, León
and Necaxa
. Pachuca decided to retire Medford's number 17 after he scored his 100th goal in his career.
In Costa Rica's first division, he played for Deportivo Saprissa, were he won three national championships and the 1993 CONCACAF Champions Cup. He was part of the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship
held in China, the first FIFA World Cup
tournament where Costa Rica ever appeared, and scored the first goal ever for his home country in this type of tournaments. Medford also represented Costa Rica's national squad
89 times, playing in two World Cups, Italy 1990 and Japan-Korea 2002. He scored a goal against Sweden in the 1990 World Cup, which resulted in qualification for the second round, Costa Rica's best World Cup performance. He also scored the winning goal at the Azteca Stadium against Mexico
in the qualification for the 2002 World Cup, the only home World Cup qualifier game that Mexico has ever lost.
After retiring from professional football in 2003, he entered coaching. He first coached Deportivo Saprissa with great success, where he has won several championships, including 2 national tournaments, the Uncaf Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup, giving Saprissa the right to compete in the second FIFA Club World Championship Toyota Cup in Japan, in December 2005, in which Saprissa finished 3rd.
As of October 28, 2006, the Costa Rican Football Federation, or Federación Costarricense de Fútbol
, announced him as the new head coach for the Costa Rica national football team
. He was sacked on 28 June 2008 after a string of poor results and only a few wins, and showing unprecedent bias in favor of his old former players of Saprissa.
He took the reins of Club León
for the Clausura 2009 season. His first game as head coach was against Tampico Madero, ending in a 1-1 tie. He was fired as manager by the president of the club owing to poor results in the pre-season and the season itself.
After leaving Club Leon
Medford decided to take a break in coaching and decided to work as an administrator/manager. He signed with Brujas F.C.
, a club team from the capital San Jose. He signed to be the club administrator/manager. After two seasons Hernan decided to resign due to the lack of good results from the club, among other disagreements with the board of directives. In 2010 Hernan Medford signed with Limon Futbol Club
, a club team from the province of Limon
. He signed also as an administrator. The team seemed to have benefited from his previous experience as administrator. In June 2011 Carlos Pascal the team’s chairman was arrested due to accusations of drug trafficking leaving the club without a president. Medford tried to help the team survive this set back since without Pascal the team was left without financial support. Medford endured a difficult season with Limon F.C. In August 2011 Medford resigned, claiming it had nothing to do with the financial problems the club had suffered, but because of personal decisions.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
n football player and coach.
Nicknamed "Pelicano", or "Pelican", he played in several different leagues worldwide, including Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
of Italy (Foggia Calcio), the Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
(Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
), the Austrian Bundesliga (SK Rapid Wien
SK Rapid Wien
The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...
), La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
in Spain playing for Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas...
, and the Mexican premier league
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
, with C.F. Pachuca, León
Club León
Club León, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of León, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. They currently play in the Liga De Ascenso formerly known as "Primera A", the second tier of football in Mexico since their relegation from the Primera Division in 2002.León has won...
and Necaxa
Necaxa
Necaxa is a Mexican football club and is based in the city of Aguascalientes. it plays in the Estadio Victoria. Necaxa is ranked seventh overall and 1st in ranking in Mexican football within the IFFHS Central and North America's Clubs of the Century in the CONCACAF behind CD Saprissa San Juan de...
. Pachuca decided to retire Medford's number 17 after he scored his 100th goal in his career.
In Costa Rica's first division, he played for Deportivo Saprissa, were he won three national championships and the 1993 CONCACAF Champions Cup. He was part of the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship
1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship
The 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship was held in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Dalian in People's Republic of China from July 31, 1985 to August 11, 1985...
held in China, the first FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
tournament where Costa Rica ever appeared, and scored the first goal ever for his home country in this type of tournaments. Medford also represented Costa Rica's national squad
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
89 times, playing in two World Cups, Italy 1990 and Japan-Korea 2002. He scored a goal against Sweden in the 1990 World Cup, which resulted in qualification for the second round, Costa Rica's best World Cup performance. He also scored the winning goal at the Azteca Stadium against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
in the qualification for the 2002 World Cup, the only home World Cup qualifier game that Mexico has ever lost.
After retiring from professional football in 2003, he entered coaching. He first coached Deportivo Saprissa with great success, where he has won several championships, including 2 national tournaments, the Uncaf Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup, giving Saprissa the right to compete in the second FIFA Club World Championship Toyota Cup in Japan, in December 2005, in which Saprissa finished 3rd.
As of October 28, 2006, the Costa Rican Football Federation, or Federación Costarricense de Fútbol
Federación Costarricense de Fútbol
The Federación Costarricense de Fútbol is the official football organization in Costa Rica and is in charge of the Costa Rican national team.-History:...
, announced him as the new head coach for the Costa Rica national football team
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
. He was sacked on 28 June 2008 after a string of poor results and only a few wins, and showing unprecedent bias in favor of his old former players of Saprissa.
He took the reins of Club León
Club León
Club León, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of León, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. They currently play in the Liga De Ascenso formerly known as "Primera A", the second tier of football in Mexico since their relegation from the Primera Division in 2002.León has won...
for the Clausura 2009 season. His first game as head coach was against Tampico Madero, ending in a 1-1 tie. He was fired as manager by the president of the club owing to poor results in the pre-season and the season itself.
After leaving Club Leon
Club León
Club León, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of León, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. They currently play in the Liga De Ascenso formerly known as "Primera A", the second tier of football in Mexico since their relegation from the Primera Division in 2002.León has won...
Medford decided to take a break in coaching and decided to work as an administrator/manager. He signed with Brujas F.C.
Brujas F.C.
Brujas F.C. de Desamparados - previously A.D. Guanacasteca - is a Costa Rican football club based in Desamparados, Costa Rica. The name Brujas translates to "Witches." The team's home town used to be Escazú, known around the country as "La ciudad de las Brujas" or "The Witches' Town", but the...
, a club team from the capital San Jose. He signed to be the club administrator/manager. After two seasons Hernan decided to resign due to the lack of good results from the club, among other disagreements with the board of directives. In 2010 Hernan Medford signed with Limon Futbol Club
Limón Fútbol Club
Limón Fútbol Club is a Costa Rican football team playing at the top level in the Primera Division. It is based in Limón. Their home stadiums are the Estadio Nuevo de Limón and Estadio Juán Gobán. Their nickname is "La Tromba del Caribe" .-Current squad:As of 2010...
, a club team from the province of Limon
Limon
Limon or Limón, Spanish for "lemon", may refer to:Places:* Limon, Colorado, a town in the United States* Limon, Nièvre, a commune in the Nièvre department of France* Limón, Honduras, a municipality in the department of Colón in Honduras...
. He signed also as an administrator. The team seemed to have benefited from his previous experience as administrator. In June 2011 Carlos Pascal the team’s chairman was arrested due to accusations of drug trafficking leaving the club without a president. Medford tried to help the team survive this set back since without Pascal the team was left without financial support. Medford endured a difficult season with Limon F.C. In August 2011 Medford resigned, claiming it had nothing to do with the financial problems the club had suffered, but because of personal decisions.