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Espinoza, Bernardez headline Honduras roster for upcoming USMNT qualifier

Honduras head coach Luis Suarez has released the roster that will take on the U.S. Men’s National Team in their World Cup qualifier on Feb. 6, and it is loaded.

Roger Espinoza, Victor Bernardez and Maynor Figueroa headline Honduras’ 23-man roster for their battle with the U.S. at San Pedro Sula next Wednesday. The squad also includes D.C. United youngster Andy Najar, Seattle Sounders midfielder Mario Martinez and long-time goalkeeper Noel Valladares, who will earn his 100th cap in the match should he play.

In total, five of the players on Los Catrachos’ roster currently ply their trade in MLS while 11 others play in Honduras. The remaining seven are based in Europe.

Here is the full 23-man squad:

Goalkeepers: Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Donis Escober (Olimpia), Jose Mendoza (Marathon).

Defenders: Arnold Peralta (Vida), Brayan Beckeles (Olimpia),Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Osman Chavez (Wisla), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan), Juan Pablo Montes (Platense), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Juan Carlos Garcia (Olimpia).

Midfielders: Luis Garrido (Red Star Belgrade), Jorge Claros (Hibernian), Roger Espinoza (Wigan), Alex Lopez (Olimpia), Andy Najar (D.C. United), Oscar Boniek Garcia (Houston Dynamo), Mario Martinez (Seattle Sounders), Aldo Oviedo (Real Espana).

Forwards: Jerry Bengtson (New England Revolution), Roger Rojas (Olimpia), Carlo Costly (Veria), Georgie Welcome (Motagua)

What do you think of Honduras’ roster? Who will be the key player for the Americans to stop? Convinced the U.S. can beat this team?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. this is gonna be a really tough one.. draw is a good result for us but could easily see honduras run away with this one they got a really strong team. muma is a beast.

    Reply
    • he’s playing for the country where he was born, where he learned to play futbol, where he need not speak through a translator

      who exactly is he betraying? either decision he made wouldve been criticized by certain fans…which is why he made the choice that HE can live with happily

      Reply
    • Najar would have played for the US if he could get US citizenship. DCU even talked to politicians to try to expedite his citizenship but there is no political will for that sort of thing. Your opponent says you gave preferential treatment to someone who came to this country illegally and you are done.
      Based on current post-9/11 laws, he would have had to wait five years. Do you really expect a soccer player, given their short careers, to put their international career on hold for five years just for the chance (no guarantees) to play for the US?
      Heck, at least Roger Espinoza is a US citizen, you are calling someone a traitor who isn’t even a US citizen, how does that make any sense??
      Najar is NOT in the same category as Rossi and Subotic. He is in the same category as Yura Movsisyan and Vedad Ibisevic. But way to show everyone that you have NO IDEA what you’re talking about!

      Reply
  2. I saw Espinoza playing for Wigan last week, and he was excellent. I think he will be coming back from England for national team duty full of confidence and could be dangerous.

    Reply
      • There never is an Easy Qualifier away from home. That being said MLS is a key reason this squad is dangerous.. Lot of MLS guys on the squad are key players.

    • Espinoza was phenomenal today. Check out his pass that led to Wigan’s first goal (and the secondary assist on the second wasn’t bad either)

      Reply
  3. This squads strength seems to be defense.With Chavez,Fuigeroa, Izaguirre and Bernardez.Our best chance to score goals at their place is if they take the impetus.Allowing space for us to get behind.If they bunker(which I don’t think they will) it mIght be near impossible to break them down.

    Reply
    • Osman Chavez is a rock. someone that would be a game changer in MLS if he was available. the rest of the defense is solid too. the midfield and forward are all good but with a lot of them in the offseason, thanks MLS!, we might have an advantage.

      Reply
  4. Maybe they need to start to call it Wiganduras. Wasn’t there another Honduran who was there a while back (palacios)?

    Pretty solid roster. I mind honduras a lot less than many of the other teams in Concacaf. Maybe its the MLS flavor!

    Reply
    • right! you would think the number2 guy would want to play somewhere else but i guess Olimpa is that much of a juggernaut of the Honduran League.

      Reply

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