By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 7, 2011) US Soccer Players -- The story of Saturday's USA - Honduras friendly will be as much about who isn't there as who is. The absenteeism applies to both teams, with regulars missing the trip to Miami.
Honduras will be without several of their starters as well as DC United striker Andy Najar, but will feature three other MLS-based players. Coach Luis Suarez, who instead tapped several budding players to the squad, did not call up stalwarts like goalkeeper Noel Valladares and midfielder Hendry Thomas.
The game versus Honduras is expected to draw a large partisan crowd at Sun Life Stadium. The venue, which seats 75,000 for soccer games, hosted a friendly in August between Barcelona and Mexican club CD Guadalajara as part of the World Football Challenge and should attract a sizeable number of blue-and-white clad Honduran fans.
“The United States, along with Mexico, are the two best teams in CONCACAF. Every chance we get to play against these teams, is a chance for us to get better. I look forward to facing the United States,” said Suarez, who took over as manager last March. “It will be a good game.”
Suarez said the game is about preparing his side for the start of 2014 World Cup Qualifying. That means resting many of his high-profile regulars for the chance to give players like defender Johnny Leveron and striker Jerry Bengtson playing time.
“My goal for this team since after the Gold Cup has been to reach the World Cup,” he said. “My predecessor (Reinaldo Rueda) did and I expect to do the same. These friendlies are important because we can use different players.”
The USA and Honduras are no strangers. The Americans hold an 11-3-3 advantage over the Catrachos dating back to 1965 and have played several memorable games, including the USA’s amazing 3-2 win in October 2009 that sealed its place in the 2010 World Cup. It was the USA's subsequent 2-2 draw against Costa Rica that earned Honduras a spot in South Africa. Honduras, who have qualified for the World Cup twice, reached the semifinals of this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, losing out to eventual champions Mexico.
Honduras features some of the best players in the region, including defender Maynor Figueroa and Houston Dynamo striker Carlo Costly. Under Suarez, Honduras likes to play a 4-1-4-1 with Costly as the lone striker.
Featuring a disciplined defense and fast midfield, the team no longer plays the 4-3-3 that got it to the World Cup finals. The tactical formation may have switched, but Honduras still plays like an underdog in every game. The team likes to maintain possession and wear down opponents. In the middle, Honduras relies heavily on Sporting Kansas City’s Roger Espinoza and FC Dallas’ Marvin Chavez, two players of exceptional technical ability, to create clever passes for Costly.
Honduras likes to employ what we'll politely call a chippy style, often resulting in red cards, and that will only favor the USA. Against Mexico at the Gold Cup and versus Colombia recently, Honduras was reduced to 10 players. If the Americans can maintain pressure, Honduras is very likely to start fouling in an attempt to break up the rhythm of the game.
The USA, meanwhile, will be looking for its first win under coach Jurgen Klinsmann. The Americans, who will face Ecuador on Tuesday night at Red Bull Arena, will feature its core starters, including goalkeeper Tim Howard, defender Carlos Bocanegra and striker Clint Dempsey. The return of Michael Bradley, who has played a vital role over the past few weeks in Serie A for his new club Chievo Verona, bodes well, while Bocanegra and midfielder Maurice Edu have been in splendid form for Glasgow Rangers.
The Americans will also be without several key players – including Jose Torres (broken foot), Stuart Holden (a second knee surgery) and Landon Donovan (strained right quadriceps). Donovan, who had originally been named to the roster, was replaced by Edson Buddle.
“Honduras is a team that we may see in World Cup Qualifying, so this is a very good opportunity for our players,” said Klinsmann. “Honduras is a skillful team, and you could see their quality in the last World Cup. These are important experiences for our team as we prepare for next summer.”
Clemente Lisi is a New York-based writer. Contact him at: CAL4477@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ClementeLisi
