It was the Carlos Pavon show at Reliant Stadium on Wednesday as a highly impressive Honduras pummeled Cuba 5-0 to finish top of Gold Cup Group C, ahead of Mexico and Panama, the previous leader, which had to settle for third after narrowly losing 1-0 to the Mexicans. Pavon hit the net four times, including three in the first half, leading Honduras to the resounding victory, which deservedly catapulted Reinaldo Rueda’s men ahead of Mexico on the tiebreaker (head-to-head).
“Our control and the attitude we had gave us the game,” Rueda said. “We must regain our status. We’re in that process. I thank Pavon for helping this process.” Honduras had to overcome several obstacles to get this far after barely making the tournament, losing star striker David Suazo (who signed with Italian champion Inter Milan), and playing a man down throughout most of its opening Gold Cup loss to Panama.
Pavon and fellow striker Carlos Costly have been more than worthy stand-ins for Suazo, combining for seven of the team’s nine goals in group play. “We won because of the attitude of the team, the seriousness for which we approached the match,” Pavon, who has been linked with a possible move to the L.A. Galaxy, said after the Cuba match. His team plays Guadeloupe in the next round with the prospect of a rematch against Mexico in the semifinals.