The TFC Olympic qualifying tournament in Hershey, Pa., was thrown into confusion by the decision of Honduran U-23 players to not travel to the United States. The players returned to their homes instead of going to the airport in Tegucigalpa for their flight to the United States Wednesday after a meeting with Honduran federation officials broke down. Honduras was scheduled to play the United States in Group D Friday night. The dispute concerns the players’ demand for bonuses estimated at between $1,500 and $2,000 for qualifying for the final round of qualifying. The Honduran federation said they would be paid in Hershey, but that wasn’t good enough for the players, who were reported to take taxis to bus terminals, where they would take buses home. The Honduran federation, which has threatened suspensions of two years, has a long history of financial problems. Honduras will face suspension from the World Cup if the matter isn’t resolved. No word yet from The Football Confederation on a revised format for the tournament. The only other team in Group D is Canada. The USA-Canada could be played as usual with the winner meeting the Group E second-place and the loser meeting the Group E winner. Another alternative is to make the tournament a round-robin tournament with the top two teams the Olympic qualifiers.
