Mexico enters at World Cup qualifier with higher stakes than they have faced throughout the entire tournament. El Tri dominated its groups with six wins in six tries and was expected to provide a similar display in the fourth round of the CONCACAF qualifiers. However, their first game of the tournament was a scoreless draw with lowly Jamaica, considered the worst team in the group.
Now the Mexicans must defeat the only team to pick up a win and the one clearly on the rise in the CONCACAF: Honduras. For anyone that forgot, Honduras destroyed Canada 8-1 to clinch a berth in the hexagonal stage and then dominated the Americans 2-1 in the first qualifying match. This is no longer a lowly squad that can be overlooked, and after its display against Jamaica, this isn't the same Mexican side that can secure a victory without marginal effort.
Adding some interesting trivia to the equation is the fact that Mexico has not won in Honduras since 1993; a fact that could weigh heavily on this tilt.
Honduras Roster
GOALKEEPERS: Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Donis Escober (Olimpia), Kevin Hernández (Real España)
DEFENDERS: Arnold Peralta (Cd Vida), Brayan Beckeles (Olimpia), Juan Carlos García (Olimpia), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan), Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Juan Pablo Montes (Platense), Osman Chavez (Wisla Cracovia)
MIDFIELDERS: Luis Garrido (Estrella Roja), Roger Espinoza (Wigan), Jorge Claros (Hibernian), Wilmer Fuentes (Marathon), Oscar Boniek García (Houston Dynamo), Byron Mendez (Platense), Mario Martinez (Seattle Sounders), Carlos Discua (Motagua)
FORWARDS: Jerry Bengtson (New England Revolution), Carlo Costly (Veria), Roger Rojas (Olimpia), Jerry Palacios (Liga Deportiva Alajuelense)
Mexico Roster
GOALKEEPERS: Guillermo Ochoa (Ajaccio), Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca)
DEFENDERS: Severo Meza (Monterrey), Jonny Magallón (León), Francisco Javier Rodríguez (América), Héctor Moreno (Espanyol), Hugo Ayala (Tigres), Diego Reyes (América), Jorge Torres Nilo (Tigres), Carlos Salcido (Tigres)
MIDFIELDERS: Jesús Zavala (Monterrey), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Jesús Molina (América), Héctor Herrera (Pachuca), Javier Aquino (Villarreal), Andrés Guardado (Valencia), Ángel Reyna (Pachuca)
FORWARDS: Giovani dos Santos (Mallorca), Oribe Peralta (Santos Laguna), Javier Hernández (Manchester United), Omar Bravo (Atlas), Raúl Jiménez (América)
Predictions: Mexico and Honduras draw 2-2.
Start Time: 5:05 PM EST
TV: Telemundo