If there was ever an MLS figure that gave life to the saying "a star that burns twice as bright burns half as long," it had to have been Jose Luis Sanchez Sola, better known as Chelis.
The colorful Mexican manager — known for his eyebrow-raising media availabilities, his occasionally strange training methods, and the loyalty he inspired in his players — only coached in MLS for a few months, but his tenure with Chivas USA in 2013 was the stuff of legend. Arguably his finest moment on the field in that time came on March 24 on that year.
The Goats paid a visit to frigid Chicago with a 1-1-1 record under their belt and looking to give their manager a winning record early on in his MLS career.
After a scoreless first half, things sprang to life in the second half. Edgar Mejia scored Chivas' first with a sublime long-range strike, making sure to run over and give Chelis some love after celebrating with his teammates.
Although the Fire quickly equalized, Chivas would go on to score three unanswered in the closing stages of the game. Veteran Joaquin Velasquez scored a looping header, also making sure to celebrate with Chelis, before Juan Agudelo finished off a picture-perfect curler from inside the box and a late own goal sealed things.
The 4-1 road win was Chelis's best result in MLS. However, his time with the team would not last long. His Chivas USA team would win one more game, the following week vs. Vancouver, and after the seven-game winless streak that followed, he was let go on May 30. Though the move was ostensibly due to results, Chivas' statement at the time also noted that he had not “followed the patterns of respect and conduct implemented by Major League Soccer, as well as by Chivas USA,” a nod to some of his more controversial proclamations during his time and charge.
And where is Chelis now? After holding a variety of coaching posts in his native country, as well as a brief stint in the USL Championship with the Las Vegas Lights, he's an analyst on the ESPN Deportes show Futbol Picante.
For more on the character that was Chelis, be sure to check out MLSsoccer.com's "Inside the Mind of Chelis." The first part is embedded below, with Part 2 also available on YouTube:
