Action from the World Cup qualifier between visiting Honduras (white/blue jersey) and Mexico on September 6, 2016, in Mexico City. (Photo: Straffon Images)
MORELOS, Mexico – On Thursday, Honduras’ (1W-1D-2L, 4 points) bid for a berth in the 2018 FIFA World Cup will relaunch at a venue where it has enjoyed recent success: Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.
In September 2013, the Catrachos became just the second team (Costa Rica, 2001) to win a WCQ in Mexico, earning a 2-1 victory over the Tricolor. More than three years later, in the fourth round of CONCACAF qualifying for Russia 2018, they secured a 0-0 draw.
Those results are expected to give fifth-place Honduras (1W-1D-2L, 4 points) a needed boost against first-place Mexico (3-1-0, 10).
“[Honduras] has won here before, it has gotten draws,” said defender Johnny Palacios. “The team and the coaching staff know how to plan for matches here. Great things have been overcome. We hope that Thursday is good news for the Honduran people,” said Palacios.
Regardless of Honduras’ recent record at Mexico, Palacios knows that the table toppers have yet to lose in 10 matches during the current qualifying cycle, posting an 8W-2D-0L mark.
“We are playing for a lot,” the 30-year-old finished. “It is going to be an intense match for us, where we cannot lose, but rather get points against a great opponent like Mexico, which is doing things very well.”
In 20 all-time WCQ meetings between them, Mexico holds a 10-5 advantage in wins over Honduras.
