Honduras for the World Cup!!

[swiss tony]

I have been living out here for the last seven years.
I know England's place in the WC is already secure but spare a thought for a country that has only qualified once and on Saturday has the chance to pretty much secure their place. Football here really is the opiate of the people. I have never met people so passionate and knowledgable about the beautiful game. Lots of them even know who BHAFC are.

Honduran football may have registered on some of you radars with Wilson Palacios currently doing well at Tottenham and Maynor Figueora At Wigan. They have a fantastic squad right now and qualification would be the perfect gift to a nation that is one of the poorest in Lat Am and has gone through 3 months of political turmoil after the coup at the end of June.

The table is currently:

1. United States 16 pts
2. México 15 pts
3. Honduras 13 pts
4. Costa Rica 12 pts
5. El Salvador 8 pts
6. Trinidad y Tobago 5 pts

Saturday's game is here in Honduras against the U.S. If we win our place would be almost assured (this is the penultimate game). The top three go through automatically and the fourth places a play-off against a team from the South American confederation (which could well by Argentina!!)

I will be wearing the stripes at the stadium (Honduras play in blue and white stripes). If we win it will be a 36 hour bender in the bars as Monday is a public holiday!!

Game kicks off at 7.30pm (local time) Saturday night. 3.30am UK time. Those coming back from a large one might be able to check the score before losing consciousness.

Anyway, Hoy Si Papa!! (rough translation: This time Yes Mate!!

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Good luck! Wasn't it in 1982 when Honduras last qualified?

 

[defrocked priest]

Didn't Honduras go to war with El-Salvador over a footy match?

 

[Barry Izbak]

Anyone playing in Blue'n'White stripes is okay by me and the prospect of having Honduras in stripes at the WC sounds good.

I must say I was surprised to hear that three of those teams qualify, because (with as much respect as I can manage) that's not the hardest group in the world is it?

 

[swiss tony]

Good luck! Wasn't it in 1982 when Honduras last qualified?

Yes, they were in an interesting group too:

Group 5 Match Date Home Team Results Away Team
16 June Spain 1:1 (0:1) Honduras
17 June Yugoslavia 0:0 Northern Ireland
20 June Spain 2:1 (1:1) Yugoslavia
21 June Honduras 1:1 (0:1) Northern Ireland
24 June Honduras 0:1 (0:0) Yugoslavia
25 June Northern Ireland 1:0 (0:0) Spain
Group 5 Team Played Won Draw Lost Goals For Goals Against Points
Northern Ireland 3 1 2 0 2 1 4
Spain 3 1 1 1 3 3 3
Yugoslavia 3 1 1 1 2 2 3
Honduras 3 0 2 1 2 3 2

Didn't realise that Northern Ireland used to be good!!

 

[swiss tony]

Anyone playing in Blue'n'White stripes is okay by me and the prospect of having Honduras in stripes at the WC sounds good.

I must say I was surprised to hear that three of those teams qualify, because (with as much respect as I can manage) that's not the hardest group in the world is it?

I like the Honduras shirt a lot. The H is kind of old school.

http://www.pasioncatracha.com/images/rayada.jpg

I hear what you are saying about the group but the gringos and Mexico are excellent teams. If we didn't have three spots it would be almost almost impossible for the likes of Costa Rica, Honduras, Trinidad or Jamaica to get to the WC. All of the teams I have just mentioned could give England a good game BTW!!

 

[swiss tony]

Didn't Honduras go to war with El-Salvador over a footy match?

Yes they did. It was really caused by border and immigration tensions between the two countries. But the spark was the game between the two countries for qualification for the 1970 WC. Makes the England Scotland rivalry seem a bit tame doesn't it??

Football War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Barry Izbak]

I like the sound of Honduras making it.
I struggle with the money mad premiershite and the puffed up wankers like Cole, Terry and Ferdinand make me not the slightest bit interested in watching England.
Dreadful lack of patriotism I know, but give me blue and white stripes anytime.
Good Luck Saturday

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Yes, they were in an interesting group too:

Group 5 Match Date Home Team Results Away Team
16 June Spain 1:1 (0:1) Honduras
17 June Yugoslavia 0:0 Northern Ireland
20 June Spain 2:1 (1:1) Yugoslavia
21 June Honduras 1:1 (0:1) Northern Ireland
24 June Honduras 0:1 (0:0) Yugoslavia
25 June Northern Ireland 1:0 (0:0) Spain
Group 5 Team Played Won Draw Lost Goals For Goals Against Points
Northern Ireland 3 1 2 0 2 1 4
Spain 3 1 1 1 3 3 3
Yugoslavia 3 1 1 1 2 2 3
Honduras 3 0 2 1 2 3 2

Didn't realise that Northern Ireland used to be good!!

Northern Ireland had an amazing team in 1982!

Honduras' World Cup record in Spain was none too shabby.

 

[defrocked priest]

Yes they did. It was really caused by border and immigration tensions between the two countries. But the spark was the game between the two countries for qualification for the 1970 WC. Makes the England Scotland rivalry seem a bit tame doesn't it??

Football War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thank you for that link. I have been all through Central and South America and to say Football is the opiate of the people is an understatement, they are right mental. Some of the most intense and violent matches I have ever seen was during my time there.

 

[swiss tony]

I like the sound of Honduras making it.
I struggle with the money mad premiershite and the puffed up wankers like Cole, Terry and Ferdinand make me not the slightest bit interested in watching England.
Dreadful lack of patriotism I know, but give me blue and white stripes anytime.
Good Luck Saturday

Thanks mate!

Here is a very good article showing how the humility of players like Palacios would be a good lesson for a lot of the pouting prima donna English players.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-from-palacioss-family-tragedy-comes-a-shining-example-to-king-1683162.html

I have this funny feeling that Honduras and England are going to meet in the WC. It would have happened last time, but Trinidad got the last place. It woud be a truly bizarre experience as I'd genuinely want both to win.

 

[swiss tony]

Northern Ireland had an amazing team in 1982!

Honduras' World Cup record in Spain was none too shabby.

As opposed to El Salvador in the same WC who got bitch slapped by Hungary 10-1, which for the anoraks was the most goals ever scored in one WC game.

Actually the more I think of it, there is a strong case for the Spain 82 WC going down as the best in history. England were eliminated without losing a game. Scotland were beaten 5-2 by Brazil.

One of the stats that made me chortle when I was checking the most goals ever scored in one game stat was the following:

Most appearances, never advancing from first round: 8 SCOTLAND.
Poor jocks!!

 

[Billy Mays]

So with apologies for the usual US lack of knowledge of the rest of the world a 7.30pm kick off in Honduras would be 10.30pm EST then? Might well take a look but first there is a big college (American) football game - LSU vs Florida. So it's ribs , wings and beer a plenty and hopefully once the Gators have taken care of business I'll support Honduras. I work with a Honduran bloke who went upto Chicago for the last game and as you say blue and white stripes is another reason to support them.

Good luck.

 

[swiss tony]

Thank you for that link. I have been all through Central and South America and to say Football is the opiate of the people is an understatement, they are right mental. Some of the most intense and violent matches I have ever seen was during my time there.

Yes, maybe I should have said Football is the Crack Cocaine of the people.



Going to a game is an amazing experience. The stadium is split into three sections: SOL (Sun), SOMBRA (shade i.e. covered) and SILLA (seat for the rich). We normally go to SOL except for local derbies. Terracing, lads circling around with crates of beer at less than a dollar a pop, tacos and all kinds of food (including revoltingly turtle eggs). Singing and jumping around for the full 90 mins. SOOOOOOOOO much more fun than matching footie back home.

 

[swiss tony]

So with apologies for the usual US lack of knowledge of the rest of the world a 7.30pm kick off in Honduras would be 10.30pm EST then? Might well take a look but first there is a big college (American) football game - LSU vs Florida. So it's ribs , wings and beer a plenty and hopefully once the Gators have taken care of business I'll support Honduras. I work with a Honduran bloke who went upto Chicago for the last game and as you say blue and white stripes is another reason to support them.

Good luck.

I think East coast is 2 hours ahead so it would be 9.30. Enjoy the game!!

 

[Billy Mays]

Any beer tips? I like to try to "go native" with beers. Beck's if it's Germany , Heineken for Holland etc. Have a large beer shop near work that might stock something from your neck of the woods. Is it all Corona/Sol style or is there anything with a bit more substance?

 

[swiss tony]

Any beer tips? I like to try to "go native" with beers. Beck's if it's Germany , Heineken for Holland etc. Have a large beer shop near work that might stock something from your neck of the woods. Is it all Corona/Sol style or is there anything with a bit more substance?

Port Royal is the best Honduran beer. Pilsner style with a very good aftertaste kick.

Others worth trying: Salva Vida and Imperial.

Enjoy!!

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

wilson palacios

 

[Superphil]

Got any Honduran shirts to add to Old Honduras football shirts ?

Or even any Liga Nacional de Honduras Football Shirts ?

 

[house your seagull]

great thread!