2022 Concacaf World Cup Qualifying: USA vs. Honduras - Match History & Preview | Five Things to Know

After dropping a 2-0 decision at Canada on Sunday, the U.S. Men's National Team hosts Honduras in the third and final match of the FIFA World Cup Qualifying winter window at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn. on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1, Univision, TUDN).

The USMNT (5-2-3, 18 points) remain second in the Concacaf Octagonal, edging out third-place Mexico (5-2-3, 18) on goal difference.

Last-place and winless Honduras (0-7-3, 3) lost at home to El Salvador on Sunday night, 2-0. The Hondurans have been eliminated in their quest to reach Qatar. 

WORLD CUP QUALIFYING HISTORY

The Hondurans have reached the FIFA World Cup three times, including twice in its last three competitions (2010, 2014). For Russia 2018, they finished fourth the Concacaf Hexagonal but lost to Australia in an inter-confederation playoff, 3-1.

Los Catrachos finished 18th at the 1982 World Cup and 30th and 31st, respectively, in 2010 and 2014. They have never won a game in the tournament, holding a 0-6-3 mark overall.

Honduras tied host Spain and Northern Ireland, 1-1, in 1982, and played Switzerland to a scoreless draw in 2010. Four years later in Brazil, the squad lost all three of its group-stage matches.

In their most notorious qualifier for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, existing tensions between Honduras and El Salvador precipitated what was called “The Soccer War” in 1969 during which there was fan violence after two games. After winning a playoff match in Mexico City, El Salvador launched an attack on Honduras in a war that lasted some 100 hours before a cease fire was declared.

 

USA-HONDURAS WORLD CUP QUALIFYING HISTORY

The USMNT is 18-4-5 all-time against Honduras in a series dating back to 1965 and World Cup Qualifying for the 1966 tournament in England.

In WCQ, the USA leads the series, 7-2-2, including a 3-1-0 home record.

Honduras actually won the first qualifier played on U.S. soil, taking a wild 3-2 decision on Sept. 1, 2001 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

The USA won each of the next three home qualifiers.

A Landon Donovan penalty kick and Carlos Bocanegra’s diving header gave the team a 2-1 comeback win against Honduras on June 6, 2009 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Jozy Altidore’s 73^rd minute strike was the difference maker in the USA’s 1-0 win on June 18, 2013 in Sandy, Utah.

In the most recent home qualifier, the USMNT demolished Honduras 6-0 on March 24, 2017 in San Jose. Clint Dempsey recorded his second career international hat trick, while 18-year-old Christian Pulisic played a part in five of the six U.S. goals.

In the latest meeting between the two squads, the USA overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit by scoring four goals in the second half en route to a 4-1 triumph in San Pedro Sula, Honduras on Sept. 8. Antonee Robinson, the goal-scoring hero of the USMNT’s 1-0 win over El Salvador on Jan. 27, started the comeback three minutes into the second half. Ricardo Pepi scored the game-winner in the 75^th minute, his first international goal before Brenden Aaronson and Sebastian Lletget closed out the match with late goals.

HONDURAS MANAGER

Hernan Dario Gomez was named head coach, replacing the fired Fabian Coito on Oct. 16, 2021 after Honduras' stumbling start to this WCQ campaign.

Gomez, 65, has guided three nations into the FIFA World Cup - his native Colombia (1998), Ecuador (2002) and Panama (2018).

After a 10-year playing career with Independiente Medellin and Atletico Nacional, Gomez entered coaching in 1991. He pulled the strings at club sides Atletico Nacional and Santa Fe, before returning to manage Independiente Medellin in Colombia. He also served as the manager for Guatemala from 2006-2008.

Gomez was named the 2015 Concacaf Men's Coach of the Year.

2022 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

Honduras have struggled in the Octagonal, scoring but five times and conceding 17 in 10 matches.

They got off to an encouraging start, playing a pair of road draws in their first two matches. They tied Canada in Toronto on Sept. 2, trading penalty kicks. Alexander Lopez gave the visitors a 40th-minute lead, but Cyle Larin converted a PK in the 66th minute. After a scoreless draw at El Salvador three days later, Honduras could not hold a halftime lead, conceding four second half goals in a 4-1 defeat to the USA in San Pedro Sula on Sept. 8

During the October window, Los Catrachos failed to find the net in three matches. They played to a 0-0 home draw with Costa Rica on Oct. 7 and dropped a 3-0 away decision to Mexico on Oct. 10 as Sebastian Cordova, Rogelio Funes Mori and Hirving Lozano scored for El Trí. On Oct. 13, Jamaica solved the Central Americans' defense for two goals in a 2-0 home defeat on Oct. 13, behind Kemar Roofe and Oniel Fisher.

Honduras snapped its scoreless streak at 363 minutes against Panama on Alberth Elis' 30th-minute goal and held a two-goal advantage (Moya scored in the 59th minute) midway through the second. The hosts, however, could not hold onto the lead, conceding three goals within an eight-minute span en route to a 3-2 defeat on Nov. 12. Four days later, Romell Quioto's 35th-minute strike helped Honduras equalize at 1-1, but Gerson Torres' score five minutes into stoppage time lifted host Costa Rica to a 2-1 win.

 

On Jan. 27, Canada secured a 2-0 win in Honduras, on a Denil Maldonado own goal in the 10th minute and Jonathan David's 73rd-minute insurance strike.

Honduras went down to a 2-0 home defeat to El Salvador (2-5-3, 9) on Sunday, Jan. 30. Nelson Bonilla gave the visitors a 35th-minute lead before Darwin Ceren's goal two minutes into stoppage time closed out the win. That defeat, combined with other results ensured Honduras’ elimination from 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying.

HONDURAS ROSTER

Head coach Hernan Dario Gomez called in 26 players for the winter window, 17 from the Honduran first division.

 

Motagua has the most players represented (five), followed by Real España and Olimpia with four players apiece.

 

Since taking the coaching reigns, Gomez has shaken things up. There are 14 new players on the roster that were not on the team when the USA met El Salvador in September.

Forward Romell Quioto, who performs for CF Montreal (Major League Soccer) and Alberth Elis for Bordeaux (France), are joint team scoring leaders with 12 goals apiece.

Veteran defender Maynor Figueora, who is unattached at the present time, has made a Honduran record 180 international appearance. The 38-year-old captain is the oldest player on the squad.

 

GOALKEEPERS (3): Luis López (Real Espana; 44/0), Roberto Lopez (Vida; 0/0) Edrick Menjívar (Olimpia; 4/0)

DEFENDERS (9): Omar Elvir (Motagua; 5/0), Maynor Figueroa (unattached; 179/5), Franklin Flores (Real Espana; 5/0), Devron Garcia (Real Espana; 0/0), Denil Maldonado (Motagua; 11/0); Wisdom Quaye (Real Espana; 1/0), Diego Rodríguez (Motagua; 14/1), Raul Santos (Motagua; 5/0), Allans Vargas (Real Espana; 8/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Bryan Acosta (FC Dallas/USA; 56/2), Jorge Alvarez (Olimpia; 9/1), Kervin Arriaga (Marathón; 12/1), Ivan Lopez (Motagua; 3/0), Kevin Lopez (Comunicaciones; 5/0), Alfredo Mejia (Levadiakos; 52/1), Edwin Rodríguez (Olimpia; 14/1), Cristian Sacaza (Honduras Progreso; 0/0)

FORWARDS (6): Alberth Elis (Bordeaux/FRA; 54/12), Anthony Lozano (Cádiz/ESP; 38/9), Brayan Moya (Olimpia; 16/4), Romell Quioto (CF Montreal/CAN; 55/12), Bryan Rochez (Nacional/POR; 15/0), Jonathan Toro (Academica/POR; 15/3)