Honduras is headed to the 2015 Gold Cup, thanks to a little magic from a onetime MLS Homegrown star.
Former D.C. United winger Andy Najar scored twice and Anthony Lozano added a third as Honduras reversed a 3-1 first-leg deficit against French Guyana in San Pedro Sula on Sunday, notching a 3-0 second-leg win and 4-3 aggregate victory to qualify for CONCACAF's main event this summer.
Los Catratchos faced a potential disaster after qualifying for the previous two World Cups in South Africa and Brazil, putting themselves in precarious qualifying position after a fifth-place showing in the Copa Centroamericana forced a playoff against French Guyana, the fifth-place finisher in the Caribbean Cup, for a spot in the Gold Cup.
Other MLSers fielded by head coach Jorge Luis Pinto included Houston Dynamo pair Boniek Garcia and Luis Garrido, as well as former New England Revolution striker Jerry Bengtson and Seattle Sounders midfielder Mario Martinez.
Honduras' win means they'll slot into Group A alongside Panama, Haiti and the United States, who'll be defending their 2013 title when the tournament kicks off in July.
