Honduras vs Turkey
Road To Brazil Series
May 29 | 8 pm ET| RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
TV: beIN Sports, Univision Deportes
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HONDURAS PREPPING FOR TOUGH GROUP:Los Catrachos’ World Cup group includes two tough European sides, France and Switzerland. The Turks offer a decent approximation, including a good blend of speed, discipline and attacking ability. Honduras manager Luis Fernando Suarez needs to figure out his attack. Who’s going to score the goals? Forwards Carlo Costly, Jerry Bengtson and Honduran league Golden Boot winner Rony Martinez must find their groove if they will have any chance in Brazil.
WHERE’S BONIEK? Honduran playmaker Boniek Garcia picked up an injury in his last appearance for the Houston Dynamo before joining up with his national teammates. It hasn’t healed as quickly as hoped. His potential absence is a major storyline for the side. But accoridng to MLSsoccer.com sources, he's going to be OK. He may not play on Wednesday, but he's still with the team and gaining fitness.
TURKEY’S NEXT GENERATION: Turkish manager Fatih Terim has called up a young-ish roster as he tries to rebuild his squad after a third straight World Cup qualifying failure and prepare for the upcoming Euro Championships qualification. With captain Arda Turan, who has 72 caps and plays for Atletico Madrid, nursing an injury, the focal point will be Burak Yilmaz, Galatasaray’s scoring ace.
THE STAR YOU KNOW
- Victor Bernardez, center back, Honduras: The San Jose Earthquakes beast is a stalwart for the Honduras backline. However, the defense struggled somewhat in qualifying. They need to shore things up, starting now.
THE PLAYER WHO WILL SURPRISE YOU
- Andy Najar, midfield, Honduras: The youngest field player on the Honduars roster, the former D.C. United player may not surprise many MLS fans, but he has become a mainstay for Belgian side Anderlecht and could wind up being one of the young stars of the tournament in Brazil.
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