World Cup history is filled with countries who have had their international coming-out party through their participation in soccer's greatest tournament. A nation can gain exposure from hundreds of millions of viewers around the planet who, before the competition began, could hardly have found said country on a map.
Such benefits might seem secondary to World Cup powerhouses like Italy or Brazil, but for the small Central American nation of Honduras, just getting into the big dance is a major source of pride as well as a major opportunity. Honduras captain and Toronto FC midfielder Amado Guevara couldn't be happier than his country will get that opportunity thanks to its qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
"This will bring the attention of the world to Honduras," Guevara said through a translator. "It's been 27 long years since Honduras has been on the World Cup stage. It's a big accomplishment. I hope that this gets the ball rolling for people paying attention to Honduras' soccer.
<p style="font-size:10px; margin:0 auto;">Guevara strikes twice against New England</p> |
"I want to thank God, and it's a gift that not only I've received but the entire country of Honduras has received. I just hope that we can keep adding to what we're accomplished thus far."
Honduras took the final step of the qualification process last Wednesday after their 1-0 win at El Salvador. Guevara's side entered the final matchday two points behind Costa Rica for the third and final automatic qualifying spot from the six-team CONCACAF "hexagonal" group. Finishing fourth wouldn't have eliminated Honduras, but it would have meant that they would have to face the fifth-place South American finisher, Uruguay, in a two-leg playoff next month.
Mexico and the United States had already qualified, and with the USA playing host to Costa Rica at Washington's RFK Stadium, the worry in Honduras was that the U.S. might take it easy with its World Cup ticket already punched. Those fears looked well-founded when Costa Rica took a 2-1 lead over the USA into stoppage time, but in the very last minute of play, U.S. defender Jonathan Bornstein converted the equalizer to rob Costa Rica of two points and edge Honduras into third place.
Bornstein's goal was a footnote in his own country's qualifying process, but it's likely that the Chivas USA fullback made himself a welcome guest in Honduras for the rest of his life. Guevara could barely describe the elation he felt at seeing the USA-Costa Rica final score appear on the stadium's scoreboard.
"That was the defining moment," Guevara said. "It's one of those emotional moments when the weight just lifted off my shoulders and the shoulders of the entire country. ... I've been enjoying it ever since."
Los Catrachos' qualification touched off a massive celebration in Honduras, with millions taking to the streets in impromptu street parties. The following day was declared a national holiday so Hondurans could properly celebrate the team and the nation's achievement.
For all of the festivities, however, Guevara spent most of his evening taking part in a more private celebration.
"There was a lot of partying going on for the team but I spent two hours on the phone with my wife that night," Guevara said. "[I was] just expressing my feelings, thanking God and most importantly thanking her, because she's been there supporting me and guiding me through all of this."
In addition to the captaincy, Guevara is the most-capped player in the nation's history and is fourth on the team's all-time scoring list with 29 goals. The midfielder was already a soccer legend in his country, but the only honor that had eluded him was that elusive World Cup berth.
Guevara was only six years old during Los Catrachos' only other World Cup appearance. Honduras performed respectably well, drawing against Northern Ireland and Spain before losing to Yugoslavia and being eliminated in the group stage.
Since that lone appearance, Honduras has endured a few other close calls in its quest to return to the World Cup. In the final CONCACAF group to get into the 1986 World Cup, Honduras made it to a win-and-in situation in the final match against Canada, but fell victim to both the Canucks and a memorably cold day in St. John's, Newfoundland in a 2-1 loss.
Guevara himself was part of the other Honduras team that came painfully close to qualifying, when Honduras finished just three points back of the third-place United States to finish out of the running in the CONCACAF hexagonal for the 2002 World Cup.
These near-misses only made this year's breakthrough all the sweeter, and given the political situation in Honduras, the World Cup perhaps could not have come at a better time. The controversial ouster of President Manuel Zelaya in June threw the country's government into chaos, and the turmoil has still yet to be resolved.
Guevara saw the situation first-hand when he traveled to the country for matches, and kept close attention given the presence of his wife, children and extended family. He said that with Hondurans having spent the last four months taking sides, he hopes the soccer team's success will help heal these divisions.
"That was one of the team's big goals, to try and unite the country and get everyone happy and together," Guevara said. "[We wanted] to get Honduras in the news not for the bad things but for actual positives that are happening. Hopefully this will get the country inspired and motivated to unite the country and keep it united."
Due to the World Cup, Guevara will miss at least two months of time with Toronto FC next summer. Of all of TFC's international players, Guevara is the first one to ever take part in a World Cup. He could possibly be joined by former Reds defender Andrew Boyens should New Zealand win next month's two-leg playoff with Bahrain, or current fullback Marvell Wynne be capped by the United States next summer.
Wynne has already crossed paths with Guevara on the international stage a few times, and spoke for all of his teammates in giving kudos to the midfielder for reaching the World Cup.
"I love Amado, he's such a cool guy," Wynne said. "Anything that happens for him and his country, I say all the best, congratulations and good luck."
With TFC chasing a playoff spot and headed into the biggest game in club history on Saturday in New York, Guevara's attention is focused on his club until the moment their season ends, whether it be this weekend or sometime during (or even after) the MLS Cup Playoffs. His winter, however, will be spent both training for the 2010 MLS season and participating in friendlies as he and Los Catrachos prepare for the biggest tournament of their lives.
While he appreciates the singularity of what he and his teammates have achieved, Guevara hopes that one day, the idea of Honduras making the World Cup isn't so unique. He hopes that his side's exploits can galvanize up-and-coming soccer players in Honduras just as the 1982 team were heroes to his generation.
"This is a gift for the kids and I'm grateful to be part of that," Guevara said. "I just hope that it inspires the country and the kids to keep accomplishing so the list [of Honduran World Cup teams] gets bigger and bigger as the years go on."
