The long wait is over. The Honduras U-23 set their dream of qualifying for the next Olympics in motion, facing Haiti on Friday (13:30) at the Jalisco Stadium for the start of the pre-Olympic CONCACAF.
La Bicolor directed by Miguel Falero landed in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Tuesday, with the illusion of sealing the ticket.
The catracho team has only 19 players available. He will not count for this meeting with Rigoberto Rivas, from Reggina in Italy, who will join until Monday 22.
Falero in a preview of the match he raised his voice to complain about the program. “It’s inappropriate, something I didn’t understand for a group leader,” he said.
Although the coach did not want to give details about 11 beginners, players such as Alex Güity, Denil Maldonado, Kervin Arriaga, Edwin Rodríguez and Douglas Martínez are expected to start.
The Caribbean will face the match with only one goalkeeper for Mark Emy-Florestal’s discharge, who did not obtain a Mexican visa due to inconsistencies in his documentation.
They will not even have Christopher Attys at the wheel of Inter Milan, who rejected the call.
Honduras is looking for fifth place at the Olympics, fourth in a row
Honduras in this tournament is in Group B along with Haiti, El Salvador and Canada. His goal is to advance to the semifinals and find one of the two tickets to the Tokyo Olympics there.
Honduras has qualified for five Olympic Games, three in a row.
Since making their debut in the Sydney 2000 Olympic tournament, the Honduran team has only been absent from Athens in 2004. In this pre-Olympic, the Catrachos go for the fourth consecutive classification and will do so under the command of Falero, who was Luis Suárez’s Assistant in this trial in London 2012.
In the team, Douglas Martínez, the MLS Real Salt Lake striker, can be of vital importance.
In contrast, Haiti has never qualified for the Olympic football tournament, while El Salvador has only been once and has been in the Mexico City-1968 edition.
Honduras Vs. Haiti
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Stadium: Jalisco
Transmission: TVC (TUDN or Fox Sports 2 for the United States)
Possibly 11 in Honduras: Alex Güity, Wesly Decas, Denil Maldonado, José García, Cristopher Meléndez, Kervin Arriaga, Jonathan Núñez, Edwin Rodríguez, José Mario Pinto, Darixon Vuelta and Douglas Martínez.