Gold Cup the immediate concern
For Canada, qualifying to the 2016 Copa America Centanario probably just got slightly harder. If Pinto proves even partially as effective with Honduras as he was with Costa Rica it means los Catrachos will improve from the state they’re currently floundering in. Honduras had a shitty World Cup and its media was filled with stories about players and coaches arguing over money during the tournament.
The appointment of Hernan Medford as manager was meant to fix this. In fact things grew worse. He argued with fans and local press about everything, including the fact he chose to wear a solitary earring. He also froze out first-team regulars and guided Honduras through a disastrous Copa Centroamericana that has left them awaiting a playoff with French Guiana just to qualify for the Gold Cup. Whether the move to dump him after four months is knee-jerk, it's hard to argue Pinto isn't an immediate upgrade.
Assuming Honduras kicks on to the Gold Cup, this theoretically re-ordered squad will be one of those Canada battles for the last two Copa America Centanario spots, along with Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Trinidad, Haiti and Cuba. And if Canada suffers the poor fortune to get lumped yet again with Honduras in World Cup qualifying, a Jorge Luis Pinto-managed squad is certainly less preferable than a chaotic, demoralized one.
Conversely, is there a chance Pinto could fail?
Of course! Like any manager Pinto doesn't come with a 100% money-back guarantee. His management resume runs long and chequered. Prior to his magical World Cup run he won club titles in Colombia, Peru and Costa Rica but also captained lackluster stints at the helm of both the Costa Rican and Colombian national teams. (Yes, he also managed Costa Rica over 2004 and 2005 and it didn't go so well.) In the buildup to Brazil he spoke constantly about tactical order and defensive fortitude, and his team's stingy performances backed up those words with action. Given Honduras' longstanding problem with scoring it's hard to see him veering from this proven regimen. The boring approach works when you're winning, but he'll require immediate success.
There's also the matter of a potentially disastrous marriage between Pinto and the Honduran federation. Two volatile parties prone to rash decisions entering into agreement around something as precarious as international football management. What could go wrong? The British press dubbed Pinto the "Jose Mourinho of South America" and that was before he engineered a spectacular public blowout with his Costa Rican bosses following the World Cup. In terms of player management he's known for being at best a strict disciplinarian and at worst a bit of a dick. It could all yet end badly.
Details, details
The hiring of a new manager in any Central American nation tends to yield juicy tidbits in the local press around salary and conditions of employment. Comparing these countries to Canada involves apples and oranges but inasmuch as there's any kind of 'market' for mid-level Concacaf managers we now know a bit more about it. For example, Honduran federation president Rafael Callejas told reporters that the budget for any new national team coaching staff would be in the range of $40,000 per month. Anything above and beyond that would require special sponsorship from local companies. (The same article says Pinto demanded $50K/month for himself alone.) However the agreed upon amount is ultimately divvied up, it points to a manager salary at the high end approaching half a million dollars annually.
The sports portal Diez also reported Pinto arrived in Honduras with a set of demands that would be the conditions of his signature. He wanted renovations to the player and coach areas of the Estadio Olimpico, he wanted to oversee all youth programs as well as the senior men's side and he wanted freedom to choose team hotels and training areas on the road. There's nothing completely outrageous there but given the scope of control Pinto allegedly desires it's clear who he sees as wearing the pants in this new adventure.
In sum, Jorge Luis Pinto just gummed up the competitive logjam in Concacaf's middle class, making it marginally more difficult for all those aspiring to represent the region on the world stage.