The U.S. U-23s, whose 4-0 loss to Mexico on Tuesday keeps them out of the 2004 Olympics, finished fourth in the CONCACAF qualifying following a penalty-kick tiebreaker loss to Honduras after a 1-1 tie.
Alecko Eskandarian scored his fourth goal of the tournament to give the Americans a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute. Honduras equalized on a 76th-minute Emil Martinez penalty kick awarded because of a foul by Jose Luis Burciaga.
In the penalty kick tiebreaker, the Hondurans converted all their shots while attempts by Logan Pause and Brad Davis were saved by Honduran keeper Donis Escobar. Eddie Gaven, Ed Johnson and Eskandarian converted their shots for the Americans.
The Americans had only 14 players available because DaMarcus Beasley, Bobby Convey and Landon Donovan left to join the full national team, Nat Borchers and Ricky Lewis were suspended, and Zak Whitbread was injured.
Mexico and Costa Rica, both having clinched the region's Olympic spots, met in the final, which Mexico won, 1-0, on a golden-goal penalty kick by Diego Martinez.
THIRD-PLACE GAME, CONCACAF OLYMPIC QUALIFYING Feb. 12 in Guadalajara
Honduras 1 USA 1. (Honduras wins, 4-3, on penalty kicks) Goals: Martinez, pen. 76; Eskandarian 50.
Honduras — Escobar, Figueroa, Thomas, Bernardez, Medina, Arzu (Maradiaga, 31), Berrios (Solis, 56), Martinez (Mendoza, 81), Castro, Placios, Palacios.
USA — Warren, Wingert (Marshall, 91), Burciaga, Stokes, Pause, Beckerman, Carroll, Davis, Gaven, Eskandarian, Testo (Johnson, 69).
Yellow cards: Honduras — Bernardez 9, Thomas 56; USA — Stokes 63, Davis 72.
Red card: Honduras — Thomas 90.
Referee: Rodolfo Sibrian (SLV) Att.: 10,000