The United States plays its final pre-World Cup qualifying tune-up Wednesday when it faces Honduras in Foxboro, Mass. (TV: Fox Sports World, HDNet, live, 7:30 pm ET, Fox Sports World, repeat, 11 pm ET; Telemundo, delay, 11:30 pm ET & PT).
The U.S. team is led by captain Claudio Reyna, who will make his 100th appearance for the U.S. in the match.
Reyna is one of 10 European-based players called in for the match. Clint Mathis of Hannover suffered a bruised heel in training and was the only injury concern on the eve of the match.
The U.S. has a 4-3-2 (W-L-T) record against Honduras in a series that dates back to 1965. The Foxboro showdown will mark the second meeting ever between coaches Bruce Arena and Bora 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.
The United States faces Grenada June 13 and June 20 in the second round of 2006 World Cup qualifying.
Honduras will be under big pressure back home to get a win when the Catrachos face the United States.
Honduras is winless in eight games (four ties and four losses) since 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.
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, the reported appearance fee of $30,000 for the Foxboro game will be used to pay for its training camp in Florida.
USA-HONDURAS Rosters
U.S. ROSTER (with caps/goals):
GOALKEEPERS Tim Howard (Man. United/ENG) 9/0 Brad Friedel (MetroStars) 3 caps/0 goals
DEFENDERS Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham/ENG) 22/4 Steve Cherundolo (Hannover/GER) 16/0 Bobby Convey (D.C. United) 21/1 Cory Gibbs (Dallas Burn) 9/0 Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids) 25/0 Tony Sanneh (Nuremberg/GER) 38/2 Greg Vanney (Bastia/FRA) 26/0
MIDFIELDERS Chris Armas (Chicago Fire) 54/2 DaMarcus Beasley (Chicago Fire) 30/4 Landon Donovan (San Jose Earthquakes) 48/15 Eddie Lewis (Preston North End/ENG) 55/5 Claudio Reyna (Man. City//ENG) 99/8 Earnie Stewart (D.C. United) 97/17
FORWARDS Conor Casey (Karlsruhe/GER) 2/0 Clint Mathis (Hannover/GER) 39/11 Brian McBride (Fulham/ENG) 73/23
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)