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'It's been beautiful': El Paso Locomotive FC manager reflects on lifetime in game
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- 'It's been beautiful': El Paso Locomotive FC manager reflects on lifetime in game
Wilmer Cabrera's journey to El Paso to become the fourth coach in Locomotive history was long, which was part of the point.
When Cabrera joined Santa Fe in his native Colombia as a 17-year-old center forward in 1985, he didn't know what his path would be, but he knew he loved the game, that it was his professional life and he would ride it as far as he could.
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To this point, that was a nine-team, four-country, 20-year playing career that included a World Cup and a position change to right back, followed by an 11-team, 19-year managerial career that now sees him getting ready for a Friday home game at Southwest University Park against Las Vegas. There was also a stint as a helicopter pilot worked in.
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None of that was apparent in 1985 when Cabrera was breaking into the professional level of soccer, but looking back on it, the 56-year-old father of five wouldn't change it.
Wilmer Cabrera is the fourth coach in El Paso Locomotive history
"I didn't plan that, but obviously in my time, I was able to play in Argentina, I was able to play in Costa Rica, I ended my career over here," said Cabrera, who who finished playing in Long Island in 2005.
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"In Colombia I played on different teams. It gave me the possibility to travel around the world representing my country, learning different cultures and adjusting very well to the different environments.
"For me, that's something invaluable, something I appreciate. Having the possibility to travel around the world and interact with people all over the world is something I appreciate. It gave me a lot of possibilities to learn about cultures."
Cabrera used El Paso's bye week to travel to Switzerland to see his 9- and 5-year-old children (his oldest three are adults).
El Paso Locomotive manager Wilmer Cabrera talks with defender Miles Lyons during a recent game
What Cabrera always knew was that soccer was his calling. His father played the game and passed it on to him from the youngest of ages, but that was almost redundant in Colombia.
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"In Colombia, for us, it's our religion, our lifestyle," Cabrera said. "It's the most important thing, it's how we have fun, how we enjoy ourselves when I was a kid. It looked like I was talented enough and hungry enough to achieve good things. That's how everything happened."
Moving through the ranks of Colombian soccer, including on the national team where he played in the 1998 World Cup in France at the end of a golden generation for the South American nation, he found ways to make himself valuable.
Throughout his career, Cabrera showed adaptability, which hinted at his future as a coach.
"I was very hard-working player," Cabrera said. "I started as a center forward, I played two youth World Cups as a center forward representing Colombia because I had good timing, excellent heading the ball, I was aggressive.
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"That aggressiveness led me one day to play right back because no one else was there. Coach told me to try and help us over there because I was aggressive and hard-working. With guidance and work, I learned, and I played well in different positions.
"It gave me the opportunity to play not only defender but midfielder and forward. It was one of my characteristics, I could play in any position except goalkeeper. I've never played goalkeeper. I'm afraid of the ball hitting me in the face."
Wilmer Cabrera is the fourth coach in El Paso Locomotive history
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He also became a licensed helicopter pilot and worked at that on the side before coming to America in 2004.
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"I went to college to study business because I knew when I finished my career I'd be young enough, but I needed something to help me to continue a good life, for me and my kids and my family," Cabrera said. "One day one of my best friends was a copter pilot, he said, 'You should be a helicopter pilot.' It's wild, it's different, it's not like normal office work.
"But when I got to America, I couldn't fly anymore, and I dedicated myself to returning to the field."
As a player, Cabrera reached the pinnacle in the 1998 World Cup. That marked Colombia's third consecutive qualification for the quadrennial tournament, still the national record. Cabrera was an integral part of the team, which did not advance out of the group stage after going 1-2.
"We didn't qualify (for the round of 16), we sadly lost two games and won only one," Cabrera said. "It was a great national team. We were able to qualify for three consecutive World Cups. Playing all three games was my dream come true."
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The first native Spanish speaker to coach the Locomotive, Cabrera didn't speak significant English when he arrived in 2004 but was speaking well enough within a year to begin a well-traveled coaching career. From 2007-12, he coached the United States U-17 and U-18 teams, and in 2014, he was the head coach for Chivas USA in the MLS.
The team folded after Cabrera's one season there, one of two times that's happened to him. He coached at Rio Grande Valley in the USL last season before it suspended operations. In between Chivas USA and Rio Grande Valley, Cabrera coached Houston Dynamo and Montreal Impact in the MLS.
"I didn't plan" all the stops on the way, Cabrera said. "I went to New York, Long Island, then Florida, Texas, Colorado, California, Montreal, Canada, back to Texas. It's been beautiful. I've gotten to learn the United States. I'm blessed. I've tried to give the best of my life to soccer."
Along the way, he has built a wealth of connections that helped him be at the top of the list for whatever USL job opened up, and in late May, that became struggling El Paso. The Locomotive were 1-2-8 when they made this midseason change to Cabrera from Brian Clarehaut. They've had two wins, a tie and three losses since.
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"El Paso has a great ownership group. It's a great city that has proven it can do good things," Cabrera said. "Ownership puts in the money and effort to organize a competitive club. I wanted to be part of this to try to help from my side and give them the best to achieve good things."
As for his approach, his team noticed the difference immediately.
"He's very intense, especially in practice," keeper Jahmali Waite said. "He wants you to work hard to give your best. He's been pushing us, pushing the fitness level. Every training session is a grind, everyone leaves tired and that's what you want."
Cabrera wants to impart the knowledge he's acquired over a lifetime to people all over the Western Hemisphere.
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"I'm a very passionate person," Cabrera said. "I try to give them the best tools to express their skills and their passion for the team."
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
Las Vegas Lights vs. El Paso Locomotive
When, where: 7 p.m. Friday, June 12, Southwest University Park
Records: El Paso is 3 wins, 11 losses and 3 ties for 12 points, 12th and last in USL West; Las Vegas is 6-7-6, 24 points, 8th
Tickets: $11-$57
TV: ESPN+
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Locomotive FC manager Wilmer Cabrera reflects on lifetime in soccer
