Honduras have qualified for the World Cup finals in South Africa from CONCACAF, and, one way or the other, we are going to have to watch them play come July.
So who are the Hondurans? At first glance, the impression the team gives is one of disappointment: even the leaders have FTBL ratings below the 60-point bar. But that should not be a reason to rush to conclusions: there are some bright spots even here. For example, midfielder Wilson Palacios (pictured) is a regular fixture at one of the English Premier League top-tier sides, Tottenham Hotspur, and he had an overall FTBL rating of more than 100 points just a month ago. Other players, such as striker Carlos Pavón, who plays for local side Real España, have shown respectable numbers: Pavón has scored 56 goals for the national squad so far, including the winner in the crucial, deciding game against El Salvador (1:0) last Wednesday.
In addition, it’s worth remembering that CONCACAF teams—Costa-Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Honduras in 1982—have made live extremely difficult for some acknowledged favorites in the past. All this suggests it might be unwise to underestimate the Hondurans. A team with leaders in top clubs in the Premier League and Serie A is well capable of pulling a few surprises.
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