World Cup 2014 Preview – Honduras

Team #19 out of the 32 World Cup Finalists is Honduras. The Hondurans had a wild ride during the qualifying round in the CONCACAF region, but are hoping for some fortunate results come June 12.

Honduras has a strong squad, but no names that jump out at you. Emilio Izaguirre is one of the most notable players on the team; a solid left back player who isn't afraid to join in on the attack. Scoring goals is not his forte, but one can think of Izaguirre as a solid cornerback in American football: he can shut down one side of the field, and having a lack of "stats" proves that the ball has a difficult time maneuvering in his area. Having a strong player like Izaguirre on your backline is a necessity at this level of competition.

The 29 year old Wilson Palacios is definitely Honduras's most talented player. He typically plays as a defensive midfielder, but has the skill set and speed to move up onto the wings. Playing his club soccer in the English Premier League the past six years gives Honduras some experience against top tier talent. Palacios doesn't score many goals either, but his playmaking abilities could be enough to set up his teammates to put the ball into the ol' onion bag.

My prediction: if you've read any of this preview, then you may have noticed that Honduras doesn't have any legitimate threat of scoring goals consistently. This will ultimately be their downfall in the group stage, as they are in Group E with France, Switzerland, and Ecuador. Without the ability to score, Honduras could quite possibly fail to win a single match against these squads, finishing 4th in the group, and failing to advance to the knockout stage in just their 2nd ever World Cup Finals appearance.