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MLS well represented in Honduras World Cup squad

HondurasStartingXI1-Brazil (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

Fans of Major League Soccer clubs will have plenty of players to follow at this summer’s World Cup on nations other than the U.S. Men’s National Team.

At an event in Honduras on Monday morning, Honduras National Team head coach Luis Fernando Suarez named his 23-man roster to head to Brazil. The squad includes four players currently in MLS – Oscar Boniek Garcia, Victor Bernardez, Marvin Chavez, and Jerry Bengtson – and three former standouts, Andy Najar, Mario Martinez, and Roger Espinoza.

Leading the squad is veteran goalkeeper Noel Valladares, defender Maynor Figueroa, Boniek Garcia in midfield, and the bulky forward Carlo Costly up top.

Suarez did make some surprising decisions, leaving out forward Georgie Welcome and defenders Johnny Leveron and Erick Norales from the squad. Welcome played with Honduras at the last World Cup while both Leveron and Norales have more than 20 caps each for Los Catrachos in their careers.

According to reports in Honduras, the domestic national team players will convene in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on May 12, with the rest of the squad joining on May 20. Honduras has the first of three World Cup preparation games taking place in the U.S. on May 29, where they’ll face Turkey in Washington D.C.

Next Los Catrachos will take on Israel in Houston on June 1, before finishing on June 7 with a friendly match against fellow World Cup participant England in Miami.

Honduras are in Group E with Ecuador, France, and Switzerland. Honduras’ first game is against France on June 15 in Porto Alegre. On June 20, Honduras face Ecuador in Curitiba and on June 25 Honduras take on Switzerland in Manaus.

Here is the Honduras World Cup squad:

GOALKEEPERS: Noel Valladares, Olimpia; Donis Escober, Olimpia; Luis López, Real España.

DEFENDERS: Arnold Peralta, Rangers (Scotland); Maynor Figueroa, Hull City (England); Víctor “Muma” Bernárdez, San José Earthquakes (USA); Emilio Izaguirre, Celtic (Scotland); Osman Chávez, Qingdao Jonoon (China); Juan Carlos García, Wigan (England); Bryan Beckeles, Olimpia; Juan Pablo Montes, Motagua.

MIDFIELDERS: Wilson Palacios, Stoke City (England); Jorge Claros, Motagua; Luis Garrido, Olimpia; Roger Espinoza, Wigan (England); Boniek García, Houston Dynamo (USA); Andy Nájar, Anderlecht (Belgium); Marvin Chávez, Colorado Rapids (USA); Mario Martínez, Real España.

FORWARDS: Carlo Costly, Real España; Jerry Bengtson, New England Revolution (USA); Jerry Palacios, Alajuelense (Costa Rica); Rony Martínez, Real Sociedad.

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What do you think of this squad? Glad to see MLS represented on other nation’s World Cup squads? Do you plan to watch Honduras at the World Cup? Think they can qualify for the knockout stages?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Bob Bradley has lost 4 of 5 and were blown out by their rivals today. There are rumors of him being fired.

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    • That’s a team that just got promoted and that has no money to spend… Would be a real shame if he got fired this quickly.

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  2. FYI USMNT supposed to announce prelim roster 5/12, roster deadline 5/13, camp starts 5/14. World Cup starts less than a month from then. We start 6/16. Almost there…….

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    • What time of day on 5/13 is the deadline to submit the roster? Because JK will wait until 1 hour before—and he’ll wrap it up in extra tape so FIFA takes longer to open it.

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  3. SBI, bring back the roster updates like you did for Slovenia and Algeria in 2010!

    As much as Portugal’s, Germany’s and Ghana’s XIs are known commodity it would be interesting to see it all on one report.

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  4. Have Bengston or Chavez played for NE or Colorado this year?

    I think i saw Chavez get a short app but now he is getting benched in favor of guys making their debuts; Watts and Hairston.. Cant be good for them.

    That aside Honduras could matchup well vs Switzerland, France and Ecuador… Wouldnt bet on it but I could see them getting out of the group

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  5. Only real surprise was that Jonathan Mejia was left out, despite score 14 goals in 30 games for Real Jaen (2nd division of Spain). But he was only called to team once by Suarez, so I don’t think Suarez wanted to disrupt what has worked so far.

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  6. During qualifying I pointed out that MLS seems to have done as much for developing Central American national players as US national players. That was before Dempsey and Bradley moved here, but MLS certainly has helped the Central Americans. Honduras was stuck in a group of death last time. They look good enough to get some points out of their group this time.

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    • In their defense, Honduras did get a tie versus Switzerland last World Cup. So they did get a point. This kept Switzerland from moving onto the 2nd round, so Swiss certainly had something to play for.

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  7. Looking forward to seeing How Andy Najar does next month. I hear he’s been tearing it up for Anderlecht.

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    • Personally I think his moves to Honduras and Anderlecht are poorly considered. Whoopdedo on both fronts.

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      • Well… considering he was born in that country and lived there until he was 13… both his parents are from there… I am guessing they do…. he is far more Honduran than half of the US squad is American…

      • Sarcasm apparently doesn’t translate well. Or you think someone on this board would seriously ask that question.

  8. “The squad includes four players currently in MLS – Oscar Boniek Garcia, Victor Bernardez, Marvin Chavez, and ”

    Well come on Dan don’t keep us hanging!

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      • Honduras has a fine history of such players, including Carlos Costly, who has toured the world (including my Dynamo) wreaking frustration on club sides who think they are getting the guy who has a goal every other appearance roughly for the H, but actually get something quite different. Team is laden with expats.

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