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United States beats Honduras, qualifies for sixth consecutive World Cup
10/10/2009 - SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras – Conor Casey scored a pair of second-half goals and Landon Donovan added another, sending the United States to a sixth consecutive trip to the World Cup with a 3-2 victory over Honduras Saturday night.
Casey scored in the 55th and 66th and Donovan added a free kick in the 71st to send the United States to South Africa along with Mexico, which clinched earlier in the day. Carlos Pavon missed an equalizing penalty in the 86th to doom Honduras.
Julio de Leon had a pair of goals for Honduras, which fell to the bottom of the standings in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying with one match remaining.
The result kept the United States atop the standings with 19 points, one ahead of Mexico, four in front of Costa Rica and six ahead of Honduras. Three sides are guaranteed berths in the 32-team World Cup field with the fourth-placed side entering a two-leg playoff with the fifth-placed team from South America for the final berth in South Africa.
Honduras , in fourth place with 13 points, travels to faces already eliminated El Salvador on Wednesday in their final match needing a victory to have any chance of earning one of the three guaranteed berths. The United States will face Costa Rica in Washington on Wednesday.
Honduras had more chances in the first half but U.S. forward Charlie Davies had the best opportunity in the 32nd when, unmarked, he headed Stuart Holden’s cross that Noel Vallardares blocked with an outstretched right arm. The rebound came back to Davies, who sent it well over the bar.
Honduras took the lead in the 47th after U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu fouled Carlos Pavon just outside the area. De Leon’s right-footed blast curled into the upper left corner past goalkeeper Tim Howard.
The United States responded when Casey outleapt Noel Valladares and looped a headed ball over the Salvadoran goalkeeper in the 55th. He took one touch after a feed from Donovan and placed a right-footed shot around Valladares for a 2-1 lead.
Donovan then matched De Leon, blasting a 24-meter free kick past Valladares and the United States looked secure. But De Leon added his second in the 78th to create some anxious moments, especially when a bounding ball hit Stuart Holden’s right arm.
Pavon, however, sent the shot well over the bar.
10/10/2009 - SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras – Conor Casey scored a pair of second-half goals and Landon Donovan added another, sending the United States to a sixth consecutive trip to the World Cup with a 3-2 victory over Honduras Saturday night.
Casey scored in the 55th and 66th and Donovan added a free kick in the 71st to send the United States to South Africa along with Mexico, which clinched earlier in the day. Carlos Pavon missed an equalizing penalty in the 86th to doom Honduras.
Julio de Leon had a pair of goals for Honduras, which fell to the bottom of the standings in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying with one match remaining.
The result kept the United States atop the standings with 19 points, one ahead of Mexico, four in front of Costa Rica and six ahead of Honduras. Three sides are guaranteed berths in the 32-team World Cup field with the fourth-placed side entering a two-leg playoff with the fifth-placed team from South America for the final berth in South Africa.
Honduras , in fourth place with 13 points, travels to faces already eliminated El Salvador on Wednesday in their final match needing a victory to have any chance of earning one of the three guaranteed berths. The United States will face Costa Rica in Washington on Wednesday.
Honduras had more chances in the first half but U.S. forward Charlie Davies had the best opportunity in the 32nd when, unmarked, he headed Stuart Holden’s cross that Noel Vallardares blocked with an outstretched right arm. The rebound came back to Davies, who sent it well over the bar.
Honduras took the lead in the 47th after U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu fouled Carlos Pavon just outside the area. De Leon’s right-footed blast curled into the upper left corner past goalkeeper Tim Howard.
The United States responded when Casey outleapt Noel Valladares and looped a headed ball over the Salvadoran goalkeeper in the 55th. He took one touch after a feed from Donovan and placed a right-footed shot around Valladares for a 2-1 lead.
Donovan then matched De Leon, blasting a 24-meter free kick past Valladares and the United States looked secure. But De Leon added his second in the 78th to create some anxious moments, especially when a bounding ball hit Stuart Holden’s right arm.
Pavon, however, sent the shot well over the bar.