Honduras Team - 2014 World Cup Betting
Best Finish: Group Play, 1982, 2010
Manager: Luis Fernando Suarez
Captain: Noel Valladares
Key Player: Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic)
Group E: With Ecuador, France and Switzerland
Honduras will be making their second straight trip to the World Cup after finishing third in a pretty tough CONCACAF qualifying group. And their first order of business at the 2014 World Cup is simple: win a match. Their trip in 2010 resulted in one tie to Switzerland and two defeats while they managed two ties and a loss back in 1982.
As they showed in qualifying matches, this version of Honduras is definitely capable of notching a win. Jammed in a group with strong teams like the United States, Costa Rica and Mexico, they managed a 4-3-3 (W-D-L) record that included big wins over USA and Costa Rica. This was good enough for the third and final automatic qualifying spot in the CONCACAF group.
While Honduras features a fine attack, their key player, Emilio Izaguirre, lies on defense. The Celtic left-back is considered by many to be this team's top all-around player. Izaguirre can run up and down the left flank with ease and set up his teammates for scoring opportunities once he gets the ball. Central defender Maynor Figueroa also figures to wreak some major havoc on opposing strikers.
At midfield stands Wilson Palacios, who's a very aggressive, defensive midfielder. He may have lost a step in recent years, but the veteran should still have a big impact in Honduras' World Cup matches.
Moving to the front of the pitch, striker Jerry Benston and center-forward Carlos Costly give "Los Catrachos" a strong one-two punch. These two led CONCACAF scorers with four goals a piece and they'll need to provide Honduras with some goals if this team is to have any chance in Group E.
Speaking of which, there's no overwhelming favorite in this group. So it's not entirely ridiculous to think that Los Catrachose could advance to the knockout rounds, which would be a first for the team. However, expectations should be focused on getting one win first before looking too far ahead.