Set to make the nation's second appearance in the global stage, Honduras made its way to the finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa in a dramatic manner. It was an equalizer in the waning seconds of the United States' battle with Costa Rica which set off the frantic celebrations by Los Catrachos fans thousands of miles to the south. Although, despite having backed into the finals, coach Reinaldo Rueda's talented squad will not be making the trip to South Africa just to fill an empty bracket spot.
The Hondurans dug deep from the outset, besting Puerto Rico 6-2 on aggregate to progress to the next-to-last round of North, Central America, and Caribbean Zone qualifying. Once there, Los Catrachos successfully maneuvered their way through the tricky qualifying section to make the final six-team Hexagonal round ahead of Mexico, Jamaica, and Canada.
That decisive final round could not have gotten off to a worse start, after Honduras dropped 2-0 decision to their fierce rival Costa Rica. However, a 1-1 draw in Trinidad and Tobago and a 3-1 home victory over mighty Mexico seemed to get things back on track, only for the Hondurans to lose a narrow 2-1 match in the United States. What followed was a run which included a 1-0 win over El Salvador, a 4-0 defeat of Costa Rica, a 4-1 decision over Trinidad and Tobago, and a 1-0 loss in Mexico, which gave Los Catrachos the opportunity to clinch a trip to South Africa against the United States in the penultimate qualifying round.
Unfortunately, the inability of Honduras to finish their plays in combination with a solid display by Team USA resulted in a 3-2 loss in San Pedro Sula, which meant that Honduras now not only had to triumph in their final contest in El Salvador, but also lay in wait hoping for a favorable outcome in the United States-Costa Rica match. Despite having played to a 1-0 win in San Salvador, the Hondurans still would have missed out on South Africa had it not been for the Americans netting that tying goal.
Over and above all of Honduras' big-name players who make their living in the European game, Los Catrachos' key man during the qualifiers was ever-youthful 36-year-old forward Carlos Pavon. Always playing as if putting on a clinic, it was the seasoned veteran's goal in El Salvador which ensured the Hondurans a place on the world's South African stage. With the assistance of fellow-striker David Suazo and mid-fielders Wilson Palacios, Julio César de León, and team captain Amado Guevara, Pavon would love nothing more than to top his glorious international career with a high-scoring showing on the biggest football stage of all.
