USA 1-3 Honduras: Comprehensive Victory For Los Catrachos

Posted Sunday, January 24, 2010 by Goal.com

USA captain Jimmy Conrad earned an early red card to set Honduras on its way to an easy 1-3 win.

CARSON, Calif. -- Honduras turned Home Depot Center into a miniature version of San Pedro Sula's Estadio Olimpico on Saturday and used the home crowd to their advantage in routing an undermanned United States side 3-1 in the first international friendly of 2010 for both sides.

While the game was a matchup of World Cup-bound squads, each side had many notable absences. Jonathan Bornstein and Benny Feilhaber were the lone regulars on the pitch for the Americans while Honduras made do without European-based players such as David Suazo, Wilson Palacios and Maynor Figueroa.

The game, however, drew a crowd of 18,626, and while many in the crowd wore Honduras' blue-and-white colors, the match set a record for crowd attendance at Home Depot Center for a U.S. friendly.

First Half

The United States took the initiative at the very start. Sacha Kljestan tried to combine with forwards Robbie Findley and Jeff Cunnningham but the duo could not do much in terms of breaking down Honduras' backline.

Jimmy Conrad was booked in the sixth minute of play after he hauled down Walter Martinez on a Honduran counterattack. Honduras picked up a yellow card of their own in the ninth minute. Palacios tried to beat Conrad and Chad Marshall but the latter was quick to get the ball as it escaped Palacios' reach. Palacios took a tumble and Mexican referee Benito Archundia booked Palacios for diving.

In the 17th minute, Carlos Pavon ripped a shot on goal but missed the target. However, Conrad and Palacios got tangled up trailing the play. Archundia ruled that Conrad had hauled down Palacios and gave him a second yellow card, earning Conrad a trip to the locker room and leaving the U.S. with 10 men.

Pavon ripped the ensuing spot kicks into the back of the goal. His first attempt was good, but Archundia made Pavon re-take the kick after ruling a Honduran player had encroached on the play. Pavon, though, ripped his second attempt on Perkins just as easily as he had the first.

Pavon celebrated the goal with a handful of his teammates as Honduras supporters went into an ear-splitting frenzy in the stands. The lively Honduran crowd cheered throughout the match, but in particular the first goal.

Marshall nearly got a goal back for the Americans in the 21st minute. On a corner kick, Marshall leapt to the ball and smashed a header at goal but the ball settled on the top of the goal, missing the crossbar by inches.

Pavon nearly had a second goal. In the 29th minute, Pavon was unmarked on the left side of the box and got to a cross but did not hit it cleanly and the ball bounced just wide of the right post.

Palacios doubled Honduras' lead in the 38th minute. Pavon headed a cross back into the box from the right side of the field and found Palacios, who had plenty of room to maneuver. Palacios stepped in front of Marshall and easily knocked the ball past Perkins.

Second Half

To counter Conrad's absence, U.S. manager Bob Bradley removed Cunningham and replaced him with Clarence Goodson. The U.S. had a tiny bit of near-brilliance early in the second half when Robbie Rogers unloaded a 35-yard bomb that hit the right post.

But it was Honduras who put their stamp on the game minutes later. In the 50th minute, Roger Espinoza combined with Palacios on a nifty combination. Espinoza began the play just outside the box and left it for Palacios, who eventually fed Espinoza. Alone in the box, Espinoza slipped the ball into the back of the net, giving Honduras a commanding 3-0 lead.

The U.S. made a quartet of changes on the hour. Into the match went Conor Casey, Alejandro Bedoya, Heath Pearce and Brad Davis and out went Marshall, Rogers, Sacha Kljestan and Kyle Beckerman. Meanwhile, Hondruas put in former MLS standout Ramon Nuñez as well, replacing Palacios.

The Americans finally gave their scant few supporters something to cheer about. In the 70th minute, Goodson got his head to a corner kick from Davis and knocked into the back of the net. After the goal, Honduran 'keeper Donis Escobar lay on the ground for a few minutes in apparent pain as he and Goodson collided on the goal, but Escobar appeared none worse for the wear once play resumed.

Honduras' attack fizzled as the match wore on as the Americans tried to inject more offense into the match. Neither side was very successful in threatening the opposing goal, however.

Findley drew a foul 20 yards out in the 88th minute, setting up a chance for Davis. The Houston Dynamo midfielder ripped a laser on goal but Escobar parried the ball over the crossbar as Davis' shot went straight to the 'keeper.

An additional five minutes at the end of the match - Archundia added five minutes of stoppage time - allowed the U.S. to get another scoring attempt as Casey had a look on goal but pushed his shot wide. Honduras ultimately sent their ardent supporters home happy.