HOUSTON - Jocelyn Angloma and Richard Edward Socrier each scored a goal in the first 20 minutes of the game, and Guadeloupe held on from there for a 2-1 upset of Honduras Sunday at Reliant Stadium in a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal game Sunday.
The win sends Guadeloupe to the semifinals against Mexico, which defeated Costa Rica 1-0 in overtime earlier in the day.
After a slow opening 10 minutes, Honduras tried to get on the board in the 12th minute off a free kick from the left side, but the header by Maynor Figueroa sailed over the bar.
Guadeloupe got on the board in the 17th minute when Angloma picked up the loose ball in the middle of the box and fired a bullet past Honduras' goalkeeper Orlin Vallecillo. Three minutes later Socrier took a pass from Loic Loval in the middle of the penalty area and headed it toward the lower pole to give Guadeloupe a 2-0 advantage.
Loval followed the assist with a booking in the 23rd minute. Honduras tried to cut the lead in half in the 27th minute when Carlos Pavon broke free in the middle of the box, but his one-timer sailed over the goal. In the 30th minute, Carlos Costly appeared to have broken free for a goal-scoring chance, but he was whistled for offside, negating any opportunity.
Pavon tried getting Honduras on the board with a shot from outside the box in the 37th minute that went high again. Guadeloupe tried to up its lead in the 41st minute, but Loval's shot went wide. In first half stoppage time, Edgar Alvarez fired a shot from the middle of the box that was saved by a diving Franck Grandel.
Guadeloupe attacked to begin the second half, but they couldn't get anything into the goal even with a corner kick in the 48th minute, but Guadeloupe's Alain Vertot was issued a yellow card in the 50th minute.
In the 55th minute, Pavon again tried getting Honduras on the board with a header from the upper post, but it sailed high and over the goal. After Guadeloupe's David Sommeil was booked in the 57th minute, Honduras' free kick was picked off by Grandel. A minute later Ivan Guerrero had an open goal, but he kicked the ball over it. In the 63rd minute, Emil Martinez was chasing after a loose ball when Grandel came out. Martinez kicked the ball past Grandel, but it went out of bounds before the near post.
Honduras finally got on the board in the 71st minute when Pavon took a pass from Guerrero just inside the near post and headed it past Grandel. Honduras nearly tied the score two minutes later when Wilson Palacios knocked a header over the bar. With Honduras gaining momentum, Palacios was booked for diving in the 79th minute.
On a free kick in the 82nd minute, Amado Guevara's shot from outside the box was blocked by the wall. After Guadeloupe's Jean Luc Lambourde was issued a yellow card in the 83rd minute, Pavon kicked the ensuing free kick from 25 yards out just to the left of the goal.
In stoppage time, Guevara fired a shot from the right side of the box that just missed. Guadeloupe came back and Cedrick Fiston had two chances to tack on an insurance goal. He missed a chance from both the left and right sides of the box, however, but it was enough to run the clock out sending Guadeloupe to its first CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals.
Jeremy Rakes is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
