Photo by ISIphotos.com
(With today's Gold Cup match between Honduras and the U.S. national team marking their first meeting here in Washington D.C. in eight years, I couldn't help but think back to that meeting two World Cup cycles ago, a match and a day among the most memorable of my career.)
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Fans clad in blue banged on the closed gates of RFK Stadium, demanding to be let into watch a very important World Cup qualifier, only these fans weren't Americans. They were Hondurans.
The day was Sept. 1, 2001, and the U.S. national team was playing Honduras in a qualifier both teams needed to help their quest to book a place in the 2002 World Cup. I know there would be a lot of Honduran fans, I just didn't know how many.
It became very clear as the D.C. subway took me to RFK that morning that this wasn't a normal match. The subway car was filled with blue-striped shirts who didn't seem too bothered by the fact that this game was kicking off at 10 am. When we arrived at RFK, it became shockingly clear that this would be as far from a home game as any country could have in its own nation's capital.
Honduran fans taking over an American stadium isn't a rare sight. In fact, we just saw it in a World Cup qualifier in Chicago a month ago, but that day eight years ago was far different. Not only were the Honduran fans eager to cheer on a team pretty close to qualifying for a World Cup (their bid collapsed in the subsequent matches), they could sense that their team was ready to humble the Americans.
That's what Honduras did. Attacking in waves and overwhelming a U.S. team like few could have expected, the Hondurans went on to win, 3-2, in a match that wasn't really that close.
There were the lasting images and impressions from that match. Theree were the Honduras fans tossing water bottles at U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel, Milton Nunez dominating the American defense, a young and unknown (to Americans) named Amado Guevara, who was absolute class in midfield that day, a very young Landon Donovan struggling in his very first World Cup qualifier, and for me, there was the memory of trying to watch the match from the press box with a big Honduras banner obstructing the view of several reporters (before eventually being removed).
Like Donovan, that was my first World Cup qualifier, and I remember thinking "If this is what all qualifiers are like then I really love this job." I have since learned that not all qualifiers are that intense, that unforgettable.
Tonight's Gold Cup match won't offer nearly the same excitement, not when both teams are fielding B squads in a tournament a few notches below World Cup qualifying in terms of importance, but going to RFK Stadium tonight and seeing those blue-striped fans converging on the stadium is sure to bring back those memories of that crazy and unforgettable morning almost eight years ago.
Were you at RFK Stadium eight years ago for that qualifier? What do you remember from that match? Will you be attending tonight's match?
Share your thoughts below.
To Doug Zimmerman at 12:32, fantastic to see your photos! That one photo does confirm others’ comments that there was solid US support in numbers in the lower bowl, only more vocal support from the Hondurans in the upper bowl and throughout the stadium in pockets.
Cool post, Ives. I remember watching it on TV and being depressed by how completely we were outplayed on the day. Then 10 days later, I got a little perspective on the important things in life.
Most other countries do not have the amount of expats that the USA has, and when their former countries come to play the USA, that’s their best (and sometimes only) chance to see their former countries play in person. I don’t blame them. If I lived in another country and the USA was playing that country, I’d definitely go to the game. 🙂
I remember that was the year that Honduras had played in the Copa America in Columbia.
The US only played one game, or it was the US’ first game after the summer.
I am hoping the Confederations Cup experience will help our team at Azteca.
I remember getting separated from my friend trying to get into the stadium in the mass confusion. I found him rather easily as I followed his big melon to get into the stadium.
I flew to DC from Houston for that game. I remember walking into RFK and seeing and hearing all the Honduran supporters. They were so loud and seemed be filling every corner of the stadium. I had the strangest sensation of chills all over my body because they Honduran fans were so passionate and boisterous, but I also felt a little sick to my stomach because the US fans seemed to be overwhelmed – both in number and volume.
When the US drew a penalty kick my friend said, “A penalty kick, great! That’s a guaranteed goal!” I gave him a withering look and scolded him for jinxing us. Of course, moments later the PK failed. I have never forgiven him for that.
I was also hoarse for the rest of the weekend. Great memories.
the Agoos giveaway was Jamaica. we drew that match
Posted by: steve-o | July 08, 2009 at 12:53 PM
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It was also leading up to the debacle that was WC 98, not 2002. That Agoos giveaway was awful though…I think we were still cheering the PK that put us up 1-0 when that happened.
I’m going tonight – should be perfect weather. I want to wear my ol’ WC 94 faux denim shirt but I guess I’ll have to go with something red, huh?
Why was the match played at 10am?
I didn´t go to the match at RFK, but i did go to the Gold Cup semifinal in 2005 when the US played Honduras at the Meadowlands. Almost all of the fans were supporting honduras. It was actually a great enviroment to be in, but i felt kindof bad for the US players, who were playing an away game at home.
woops they beat Uruguay. but also beat Brazil in the process of getting to the semi’s.
that 2001 Honduras team was absolutely amazing. They should have gone to the world cup. They choked on their last match vs Mexico in Azteca. Pavon, Tyson Nunez, Guevara, Rambo De Leon, Reyes, Caballero, Martinez..damn If I recall correctly Honduras also finished 3 in the copa america right around that time as well.(beating Brazil)
USSoccer knows how to fill a stadium
Yes it happens any time france plays Algeria/Morocco/Tunisia in Paris
Just got this from the Screaming Eagles ticket lady:
We have tickets available, but the deadline for pre-ordering has passed. Please come to the Screaming Eagles ticket window in the white trailer near Gate B, starting at 6:30pm. We will be selling tickets for the USA supporters’ area (sections 127-130) and also for the Screaming Eagles Nest (sections 132, 231 and 232). Tickets for these sections are not available elsewhere.
$40 each, cash only.
The SE ticket window will be open from 6:30 until about 9pm. Look for the Screaming Eagles sign and the US flag to find us.
See you all there tonight
Ironically, the game that we all remember for the large contingent of Honduran supporters was actually an early example of US soccer trying to ticket specifically to US fans first.
Obviously it didn’t quite work: the lower bowl *was* mostly red, but there was a solid blue ribbon on Honduras supporters in the seats under the upper deck, as well as big patches elsewhere.
But the Honduran federation didn’t think this was enough: the Honduran embassy (iirc) threatened to sue the USSF for discriminating against Hondurans for trying to keep the HOnduran fans far away from the field.
Those who want tickets:
Check in the http://www.screaming-eagles.com and http://www.barra-brava.com for tickets in the supporters section.
Warning: any Honduras fans who get tickets here might regret doing so. The one jackass who was in the Sam’s Army wearing blue and white in Chicago withstood the test of time before the game.
Headed to the game tonight. I know the lower deck is already sold out so there should be a solid crowd
I was there for my first WCQ too and I remember being impressed with how patriotic (and friendly) most of the Hondurans were.
Man, I am so tired of that myth of Hondurans taking over the stadium. I was in the upper deck with the Honduran fans and all I could see in the lower bowl (which is more than half the seats by the way) was a sea of red.
And when the US scored it was very loud upstairs. Yeah, there were a lot of Catrachos, and it was the best sporting event I’ve ever been to BECAUSE the stadium was evenly split and it was the fastest game I have ever seen.
@freddy
Here is the FIFA report from the game:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=4395/preliminaries/preliminary=3881/matches/match=21219/report.html
I was there, in the upper deck in one of the US Supporter sections. What I remember most was the crowd (at least 60% Honduras supporters, with a sellout or close to it), and how Honduras counterattacked in waves. Nunez was so dangerous.
I also remember that we had basically our third-choice forward lineup out there–Kirovski and Donovan’s first qualifier. McBride, Mathis and Wolff (any others I’m forgetting?) were injured. After losing to Costa Rica a few days later, we were starting to get a bit nervous about qualifying. But a win against Jamaica and a bad Honduras home loss sent us through with a game to spare.
I think that was the start of USSF putting games like that in smaller markets (e.g. Columbus, Nashville, Salt Lake City, etc.)
I was at that match sitting in the upper deck. I went around DC touring the Pentagon, Treasury, Lincoln Memorial, etc. Then 10 days later, September 11 happened. It felt really surreal.
Thanks SteveO!
Rocco, I went into ticket master via DC United homepage and didn’t have any problems.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15004283D60971F9?artistid=960349&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=11
I wasn’t at the stadium, but I was living in DC at the time. I lived near 16th and Columbia which is a very heavy Latino area. I remember Honduran fans driving around honking, waving flags, and yelling. It wasn’t just nuts at RFK, but all over DC. There is a HUGE Honduran population (along with El Salvadorans) there.
The loss sucked, but I recall being equally thrilled with the U.S. win in Honduras in qualifying. We won 2-1 in San Pedro Sula. That was an awesome win.
In the end, we went on to the WC and played very well. 🙂
the Agoos giveaway was Jamaica. we drew that match
Dave and Red Devil –
Ticketmaster doesn’t seem to have them on sale any longer, nor does USSoccer. Any other ideas?
My son and I were there in the lower bowl. Loud, very pro-Honduras and the U.S. got smoked. Depressing that a national team couldn’t get a “home” game in it’s nation’s capital. Can you imagine any other place in the world where something like that would occur?
What an amazing atmosphere. I was absolutely spent after the game; this weird combination of depression regarding the loss and disorientation at being exposed to that non-stop atmosphere for 3 hours. There were a lot of US fans there, but the Hondurans really put on a show (both fans and team). I recall, that the match overlapped with the Redskins season opener in DC (well, Maryland) that day. I only point that out because there WERE a lot of US supporters in the stadium; it’s not as though they were all at the Skins game. The fact that it was Labor Day weekend, though, made the Honduran turnout a lot easier to achieve in those numbers. Many thousands of them didn’t have tickets. The ride in on the Metro was depressing enough. Seeing that sea of white surrounding RFK was a pretty painful sight.
I was there, front row on the SE/BB side. As my friends and I were walking to the gate, a face painted and blue and white clad Honduran fan ran up to me and yelled “You are going to remember the 5 f*cking stars today!!!” He wasn’t being mean, he did it in a friendly manner. I was draped in an American flag, my red/white/blue Dr. Suess hat and U.S. jersey, and yelled back, “Bring it on baby!!”
After the match, I saw the same guy again (we parked near each other). He looked at me, smiled, shrugged his shoulders, and then offered me a beer.
Aside from the result, that was a fantastic match experience. I hope the day comes when US fans come out in droves like that to support our boys.
What a game that was. Honduras’ best performance ever. They dominated us. After that game, I think everyone assumed they were on their way to becoming a Concacaf powerhouse and qualifying for the world cup. For whatever reason, they could not sustain the momentum, and they have only slid back downhill from there…
I got there with my brothers and friends at 5 in the morning. When we drove into the RFK parking lot with an American flag draped around our car we were the only USA fans there…surrounded by 20,000 Honduran fans. They were all surrounding the car chanting “Honduras, Honduras” Crazy game, with the Honduran fans running through Sam’s Army after scoring their goals. Probably one of the most intense games I have ever been too.
Photos from the game:
http://cmd.shutterfly.com/commands/pictures/slideshow?site=deedouige&page=deedouige&album=26
I don’t think it was the US fans not caring enough to show up. It is just the Honduras fans caring more. US fans can see their team play in the US way more times than Honduras fans can see Honduras play. It isn’t surprising and it doesn’t say anything about US fans. Hopefully we beat them like we did in Chicago. But I do hope they keep Mexico out of the WC.
Thanks, Dave, for the tip.
and then we went to the world cup and whooped some ass, what did they do?
If there is any support like the US v Cuba match at rfk last year it should be good, unfortunately being a weekday game making it back down to dc from CT won’t happen.
The game at rfk last year was probably the most fun soccer match i’ve ever been to (20k+fans standing the whole match).
If anyone is on the fence… go to the game, you won’t regret it
I was in Chicago, and I’ll give the Hondurans their due. They travel VERY well.
That said, I think the 25-30% of us Yanks represented well. I just hope the DC Yanks are ready for the Hon-DOOO-ras chants.
“Also, this will be the first Nats match I’ve attended live, and I don’t have any USMNT paraphernalia. Anyone know if they will be selling US scarves/jerseys at RFK?”
At my previous 3 caps, there was plenty of merchandise. In Chicago, it was pathetic, really. I saw one booth, that had two different T-shirts, a scarf and a media guide… all of which were sold out before kickoff. They were also selling Honduras gear, which I didn’t really get. I’d suggest you get there early.
Of course, I believe that US Soccer does a piss-poor job of marketing to its current fan base. This is just another example.
I remember being there and feeling utter disbelief and dejection at hearing the roar from the crowd when Honduras scored. It was enough to make me forget how the game itself played out, but I remember never wanting to hear or see that again (unfortunately not so uncommon at RFK when DC United takes on various Mexican teams, though never to the degree of the Honduras game).
I feel almost traitorous not attending tonight’s match, as I usually attend every US game no matter how trivial at RFK. But I’ll be watching on tv and hoping for a strong showing on the field that will silence whatever blue-clad fans are there.
@Red Devil in DC
I bought mine yesterday, so plenty of seats still available. Using the promo “GOLDPASS” on ticketmaster will save you 5 bones.
I was at Soldier Field last month. The Honduran fans were everywhere. They came from all over the country as evidenced by the plates in the lot. They have great support. Also, I didn’t have any problems with them (unlike Mexican fans, the worst I’ve ever encountered). Should be a fun atmosphere. Can’t wait to watch.
Wasn’t that the Agoos turnover game? A heartbreaking way to lose a game where points could have been taken.
Ives,
You have the lineup from that match?
Anyone looking to sell tickets to tonights match? I need three. (I will be wearing RED) USA USA USA
I couldn’t believe all the blue and white as I approached RFK that morning, but there was good US representation that day too. Sam’s Army was rocking.
I couldn’t believe I was drinking beers at 9am.
I couldn’t believe that a stadium could be that loud before kickoff. Unforgettable.
I couldn’t believe Stewart missed that PK. Oh, that hurt.
I was there in ’01 – it was pretty crazy, and man, we got smoked – and I’ll be there again tonight. I remember Nunez shredding out defense, but don’t remember much about Guevara. (I also remember heading back to a friend’s house to watch England finish their thrashing of Germany.)
It was definitely a pro-Honduras crowd in ’01, but there was decent US support there as well. Hopefully the US supporters will be in full throat tonight, and I hope the atmosphere is a good one.
Yeah I was there. Luchi Gonzalez and the rest of the SMU team was sitting in front of me. The stadium absolutely rocked when Honduras scored. Man that was depressing. The Honduran fans that I encountered seemed nice enough though.
Then I went home and saw later that day that England beat Germany 5-1, so even good teams lose at home.
But all’s fair, with us beating Honduras in San Pedro Sula via a Clint Mathis free kick.
I’ll be there tonight, I only live 20 minutes from RFK. I hope tonight won’t be a repeat of 2001 and Chicago. Nothing is more heart-breaking than to see a home venue overtaken by the visiting fans simply because not enough home fans care enough to show up.
Regardless of who shows up, I’ll be surrounded by red white and blue in the moon bounce sections. I especially can’t wait to cheer on the home town heroes Freddy and *fingers crossed* Tino.
Also, this will be the first Nats match I’ve attended live, and I don’t have any USMNT paraphernalia. Anyone know if they will be selling US scarves/jerseys at RFK?
I’m going to the match tonight. Interested to see what the crowd dynamic is like.
We were in town a few days in advance and all we read about in the papers were the Hondurans complaining about not being able to get tickets. Then we showed up at RFK (or like you say, Ives, getting on the metro). It was ALL Honduran. The entire upper ring of RFK was blue. The memory of getting dousedd with thrown beer following a Honduran goal never leaves the memory bank.
Obviously tonight’s match wont be nearly as eventful, for various reasons. Regardless, should be a good match. I view it as a tactical battle between managers.
I would expect some political demonstrations too. It is too bad that FIFA did not allow the Honduran team to wear a ‘peace’ band around their arms, it would have been a nice gesture of solidarity.
That was an amazing game…except for the loss. Standout memories. Ernie missing the PK. Standing and bouncing with SamsArmy and having an absolute blast.