World Cup preview: Honduras

The Road To The World Cup

Honduras enjoyed a fantastic CONCACAF qualifying campaign, finishing third in the Hexagonal, and securing an automatic berth to Brazil by finishing ahead of perennial powerhouse Mexico.

Despite having a talent pool of only eight million people, the tiny Central American nation will appear in its second consecutive World Cup.

Coming into the tournament on the back of a goalless draw with England - after losses against Israel and Turkey - little will be expected of Los Catrachos, but should they be able to get something out of their opening group match, they could make a surprising appearance in the knockout stage.

Group Stage Schedule

Formation: 4-2-3-1 / 4-4-2

Honduras have shown that they are more than willing to alter their formation depending on their opponent and the flow of a given match, something that we saw on full display in their crucial (and historic) 2-1 victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in September. 

The team is comprised of a good mix of veteran experience (Maynor Figueroa and Wilson Palacios) and youthful exuberance (Andy Najar), and has become known for its impressive work ethic under manager Luis Fernando Suarez.

Reckless at times, as a red card in Saturday's match against England showed, but the team's willingness to put in the effort is never in question.

With European experience in defense (Figueroa plys his trade for Hull City, while Emilio Izaguirre has played against some of the world’s very best in the Champions League with Celtic) Honduras should not have a problem dealing with the pressure of the big stage.

Regardless of which formation the team decides to utilize in Brazil, one area that remains a question mark is in attack. Honduras was held scoreless six times in qualifying, and the combination of Jerry Bengtson and Carlo Costly accounted for 16 of the team’s 25 goals.

If those two don’t find the net, it’s hard to see where the goals are going to come from.

Manager: Luis Fernando Suarez

After surprising some just by making it to the big dance, the goal for Luis Fernando Suarez will be a simple one in Brazil: lead Honduras to its first ever victory in a World Cup match.

During the qualifying campaign, the 54-year-old manager showed a willingness to alter his tactics and make in-game adjustments to great effect, particularly in the aforementioned contest against El Tri.

He may be Honduras’ best hope at making history in Brazil, as Suarez has plenty of experience guiding smaller nations to never-before-seen heights. Indeed, he was the man on the touchline in 2006 when Ecuador advanced to the Round of 16, which, to date, is their best ever finish at the competition.

Honduras will be hoping he can conjure up that type of magic once again.

Projected Starting XI

GK: Noel Valladares

DF: Emilio Izaguirre

DF: Maynor Figueroa

DF: Victor Bernardez

DF: Brayan Beckeles

MF: Andy Najar

MF: Wilson Palacios

MF: Roger Espinoza

MF: Oscar Boniek Garcia

FW: Jerry Bengtson

FW: Carlo Costly

Projected Substitutes

GK: Luis Lopez

GK: Donis Escobar

DF: Juan Pablo Montes

DF: Osman Chavez

DF: Juan Carlos Garcia

MF: Marvin Chavez

MF: Jorge Claros

MF: Luis Garrido

MF: Edder Delgado

MF: Mario Martinez

FW: Rony Martinez

FW: Jerry Palacios

The Captain: Noel Valladares

The active cap leader by a distant margin, the 37-year-old has featured 122 times for his country and sits second on the all-time Honduran list behind only Amado Guevara.

The first choice between the sticks for over ten years now, Valladares will likely be called upon to perform plenty of heroics if Honduras is to have any chance of making it out of the opening round for the first time in their history.

It’s not like he hasn’t done it before, either.

At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Valladares was the team’s standout performer, particularly in their final group match against Switzerland, where he made a number of great saves en route to earning Honduras its only point of the tournament. He was named Man of the Match following the 0-0 draw.

Will history repeat itself on June 

Goalkeepers can - and regularly do - play well beyond the age of 40, but given that Honduras is far from assured of being at the World Cup in 2018, this could well be Valladares’ last chance to shine on the biggest stage.

The Star: Jerry Bengtson

A name that needs no introduction to fans of Major League Soccer, the 27-year-old will be relied upon heavily by his manager to carry the attack and provide the bulk of the scoring in Brazil.

Bengtson, who joined the New England Revolution as a Designated Player in 2012, scored nine times in Honduras’ successful qualifying campaign, two more than strike partner Carlo Costly.

With that type of limited scoring depth, it will be imperative that Bengtson find his shooting boots once he steps off the plane.

A three-time scoring champion in Honduras’ La Liga Nacional, he certainly knows how to find the net - even if his numbers with the Revolution do not jump off the page.

Now, it’s just a matter of doing it on the world’s biggest stage. No pressure.

The Young Gun: Andy Najar

While the Honduran squad is comprised mostly of veteran players whose international careers may be entering the final stretch, Andy Najar is just getting started.

No stranger to fans in North America, the midfielder rose through the ranks of D.C. United’s academy squad before taking the league by storm in 2010. Najar would go on to capture the Rookie of the Year award that season, before moving to Belgian side Anderlecht in January of 2013. In doing so, he became the first homegrown player in MLS history to secure a permanent transfer to a European club.

Skilled with the ball at his feet and offering plenty of pace, Najar is capable of playing both out wide in midfield or as a full-back, where his attacking instincts are a big asset from the back.

Najar decided just over two years ago that he would suit up for the country of his birth as opposed to waiting and gaining eligibility to play for the United States.

And Honduras is more than happy with his decision.

At just 21 years of age, the midfielder has already shown a flair for the dramatic, as his first international goal was the game-winner in a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over Costa Rica at last summer’s Gold Cup.

The Swan Song: Carlo Costly

If you aren’t a staunch follower of CONCACAF - or Honduran, obviously - then the name Carlo Costly probably doesn't ring much of a bell.

The fact that the 31-year-old center-forward plays his club football in his native country for Real C.D. Espana - after a spell in China with Guizhou Zhicheng F.C. - certainly doesn’t help his cause.

That said, he did plenty to make himself a household name last year, scoring seven times in qualifying for Los Catrachos.

Costly has endured a nomadic career, playing for nine teams in eight different countries since becoming a senior player in 2003. He certainly is an enigma. Players that are so revered at the international level - and even have a signature move named after them - don't tend to bounce around like that while gaining a reputation for being somewhat of a problem. From Poland to Romania, Mexico to Greece, Costly has been discarded time and time again.

The one constant has been the national team. 

Often preferred to fellow striker Jerry Bengtson by his manager, he has made 69 appearances for his country, and sits fourth on the country’s all-time scoring chart with 31 markers.

Three Questions

1. Will Carlo Costly and Jerry Bengtson be able to carry over their impressive goal-scoring records from qualifying into the big tournament?
2. With only Panama and Jamaica (the two teams that finished in the basement of the final CONCACAF qualifying group) conceding more goals, will Honduras be able to slow down the vastly superior competition that they will come across in Brazil?
3. If Costly and Bengtson struggle, is there anybody else that can step up and assume the goal-scoring responsibilities?

Trivial Matters

Nicknames: Los Catrachos

Most caps: Amado Guevara (138)

Top scorer: Carlos Pavon (58)

First international: September 14, 1921. Guatemala 10 – Honduras 1

World Cup appearances: Three, beginning in 1982

Best World Cup result: Group stage, in 1982 and 2010

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