By Clemente Lisi - NEW YORK, NY (Jul 8, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- Honduran midfielder Carlos Costly may have never heard of former Jets quarterback Joe Namath, but he imitated the former NFL great by guaranteeing a victory.
“The United States is a very tough opponent. They played very well at the Confederations Cup,” Costly said in an interview on Monday ahead of his team’s game against the US at the Gold Cup.
“Having said that, I believe we will beat them,” a cocky Costly added. “We have the necessary talent and skill to defeat them.”
After the US blanked Grenada 4-0 on Saturday night, Honduras will be a more formidable opponent for Bob Bradley’s team when the sides meet Wednesday at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.
Honduras, meanwhile, had a much more difficult opening game, unable to break down a stubborn Haitian side until Costly’s superb header at the edge of the six-yard box in the 76th minute gave Los Catrachos all three points.
“It is a very short tournament," Honduran coach Reinaldo Rueda told reporters after the game. “You have to play each game firmly.”
If by firmly Rueda means playing with a stingy defense and high-flying offense, then Honduras has yet to reach that level. The team often has lapses in the back – a weakness the US can use to its advantage – and the offense is often inconsistent, relying too much on Costly to score goals.
The US and Honduras are no strangers. Indeed, the US will undergo a bit of déjà vu when it plays Honduras on Wednesday. The Americans defeated the Central Americans 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier on June 6 at Soldier Field in Chicago – which featured a large Honduran crowd -- and currently holds the upper hand against them with an 8-2-3 all-time record.
Like Bradley, Rueda left many veterans off the roster, opting instead to try new talent. Veterans like Costly, the team's leading scorer with four goals in World Cup qualifying, is a mainstay, while other regulars include defender Erick Norales, Roger Espinoza, a Kansas City Wizards midfielder, and striker Walter Martinez. Rueda has also brought in youngsters such as 22-year-old midfielders Rigoberto Padilla and Miguel Castillo. Both players were called up for the Gold Cup to bolster Rueda’s bench ahead of World Cup qualifying and are expected to start against the United States.
Noticeably absent, however, is team captain Amado Guevara. The Toronto FC playmaker was given a rest this month ahead of this fall’s series of World Cup qualifiers, while striker David Suazo, who played last season for Italian club Inter Milan and is the country's best known player, is sidelined with a long-standing injury.
“I’m really happy with the result [against Haiti], but now comes the tough task of trying to get three points off a very powerful US team,” said Costly. “If we do that, we can win the Gold Cup.”
A win for either the US or Honduras would mean an automatic berth to the knockout round – plenty of motivation for either side to play for a result – and one step closer to the Gold Cup final.
Although he wouldn’t predict an exact score, Costly said, “I know we have the support of eight million people back in Honduras, but we really couldn’t have won (against Haiti) without the immense support from the Honduran community living in the United States. We hope to get that same crowd support on Wednesday night against the United States.”
Given the past, Costly can expect to see plenty of fans waving blue and white flags from the stands. But history also shows that the US often puts the ball in the Honduras net enough times to get the win. That’s what makes the United States the better team.
Clemente Lisi is the author of “A History of the World Cup: 1930-2006.” Contact him at: CAL4477@yahoo.com
