Honduras will be under big pressure back home to get a win when the Catrachos face the United States Wednesday night in Foxboro, Mass. (TV: Fox Sports World, HDNet, live, 7:30 pm ET; Telemundo, delay, 11:30 pm ET & PT).
Honduras is winless in eight games (four ties and four losses) since Bora Milutinovic was named national team coach last year.
The hiring of Milutinovic to a contract estimated at anywhere from $30,0000 to $75,000 a month has come under great criticism in Honduras — even Honduras' leading Catholic cardinal criticized Bora's hefty salary as a ''slap in the face'' for the country's poor.
For the Foxboro game, Bora called up seven players from Olimpia, which won the Honduran Torneo Clausura last Sunday. Young Olimpia midfielder Jerry Palacios was a late call-up.
Honduras' foreign contingent is led by MetroStars midfielder Amado Guevara, the Catrachos' all-time cap leader. Other foreign-based players were trickling into camp. Julio ''Rambo'' Leon and ex-MLS and A-League striker Saul Martinez were not slated to arrive in the United States until Wednesday. There was some concern in Honduras that visa problems would prevent Marathon goalie Victor Coello from getting to the game. That would leave Bora with only one keeper, Hector Medina. Personal problems prevented Noel Valladares from making the trip.
Honduras has set up base at the Hilton Sunrise near Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., to prepare for its World Cup qualifying series against the Netherlands Antilles. According to Honduran press reports, the appearance fee of $30,000 for the Foxboro game will be used to pay for its training camp in Florida.
The U.S. has a 4-3-2 all-time record against Honduras that dates back to 1965. The Foxboro showdown will mark the second meeting ever between coaches Bruce Arena and Milutinovic, who served as U.S. coach from 1991-95. The first matchup came when Bora headed China's effort to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, with the U.S. grabbing a 2-1 win on Jan. 27, 2001, in Oakland, Calif.
HONDURAS ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS
Victor Coello (Marathon)
Hector Medina (Real Espana)
DEFENDERS
Victor Bernardez (Motagua)
Donis Escober (Olimpia)
Maynor Figueroa (Olimpia)
Junior Izaguirre (Motagua)
Milton Palacios (Olimpia)
Wilson Palacios (Olimpia)
Roy Posas (Motagua)
MIDFIELDERS
Elkin Gonzalez (Real Espana)
Amado Guevara (MetroStars/USA)
Julio Leon (Fiorentina/ITA)
Elmer Marin (Olimpia)
Nery Medina (Motagua)
Victor Mena (Motagua)
Jerry Palacios (Olimpia)
Mauricio Sabillon (Marathon)
Maynor Suazo (Salzburg FC/AUT)
FORWARDS
Edgar Alvarez (Penarol/URU)
Emil Martinez (Marathon)
Saul Martinez (Shanghai Shenhua/CHN)
Milton Nunez (Necaxa/MEX)
Carlos Pavon (Morelia/MEX)
David Suazo (Cagliari/ITA)
Wilmer Velasquez (Olimpia)