SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras - Honduras kicks off the final phase of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with what the players themselves realize will be a difficult task, at home against the United States on Wednesday at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula.

The North Americans have been among the toughest rivals for the Catrachos at home in recent history, winning in San Pedro Sula during qualifying in 2001 (2-1) and repeating the feat eight years later (October 10, 2009) in a match that clinched qualification for the United States to the 2010 FIFA World Cup (3-2).

To demonstrate how quickly things can change in football, none of the players who scored in that last meeting -- Julio Cesar De Leon had two goals for Honduras, while Conor Casey bagged a brace and Landon Donovan added another for the Americans --- will take part in Wednesday's encounter.

"I think we feel fine, that we're well positioned," said defender Juan Pablo Montes, who scored against Panama in the recently completed UNCAF Copa Centroamericana. "We know who we're up against and we're hoping to play a good game here at home.

"The mission is to get three points, at home. That's our work and we want to take advantage of being at home."

Despite having fallen in those previous matches at the Estadio Olimpico, Honduran defender Osman Chavez contends that Wednesday could well prove to be different, since his team has more experience this time around.

"I think that with respect to the previous times we've gone up against the U.S., this is a different Osman, a different group of players, a different coach," the Poland-based defender said. "We have grown as players.

"It's not the same, for example, as the first time we played Mexico at El Azteca. We've played more, there's more experience, more maturity and more international experience. There's no longer any fear and there's a lot more confidence. We have to take the field and show them who's who."

In six all-time games in World Cup Qualifying, the U.S. holds the advantage with three wins as compared to one for the Catrachos. Each of those games, though, was decided by one goal or less. They last met in a qualifier on October 10, 2009, also in San Pedro Sula.

The match - the first for both teams of the final round of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup from the CONCACAF region - kicks off at 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday.