Mexico vs. Honduras, World Cup 2018 qualifying

El Salvador lost 3-0 on Friday to hosts Mexico in their first match of the group.

The Canadian men’s soccer team travelled to Honduras in October 2012 needing only a draw to make the final round of qualifying for the World Cup in Brazil, but instead suffered an embarrassing 8-1 beating that crushed their hopes of making the tournament for the first time since the country’s only appearance in 1986.

Junior Hoilett beat his marker down the left before crossing for Johnson, whose header went in after appearing to hit Larin on the line.

“We liked [it] a lot”, Floro said of the BC Place atmosphere.

“It’s great, it’s important to get off to a good start, win your home games against the team that is probably favoured to get second in the group”, said midfielder Will Johnson. “The boys are prepared, the squad is looking good and I’m fully confident we’ll get the job done”.

Honduras did qualify for the 2014 World Cup and will undoubtedly enter this game believing that feat is repeatable.

The Spaniard guided his players to a cathartic 1-0 win over Honduras on Friday, righting at least a few of the wrongs from the capitulation in San Pedro Sula three years ago.

“First, we are happy because of the result”.

But while the stunning rout got most of the attention, what really sealed Canada’s fate at this stage last time around were dropped points at home in a 0-0 tie with Honduras in Toronto.

In the end, Canada should be poised to win the match and put themselves in a wonderful position going into the new year.

“We all wanted to try and forget about that, but obviously we wanted to get a little payback for that game”, said Hutchinson. The two best teams in each round-robin pool advance to the final round of qualifying, with the top three getting places at the World Cup, while the fourth has to face an Asian country in a two-game playoff.

“We are a new team”, said Johnson.

Canada, ranked 102nd in the world, nearly doubled its lead in the 63rd minute when Johnson hammered a free kick from 35 yards out that Valladares just got a touch on before it struck the post and stayed out.

Honduras did have an excellent chance to draw level in the 76th minute when Mario Martinez’s shot from distance forced Milan Borjan to tip his shot over the goal.

Borjan then spilled another Martinez shot from well out six minutes later before having to scramble to gather up the rebound, but Canada would hold the fort from there to claim all three valuable points.

“It was a good start for us. I think he’ll benefit the whole team”.

Notes: The temperature at kickoff with the roof open at B.C. Place was 9C…. In Juan Carlos Osorio’s debut as coach last Friday, El Tri cruised to a 3-0 victory over an El Salvador side severely weakened by a widespread players strike.

Mexico’s last away win in Honduras came in 1993 – a 4-1 win with Alberto Garcia Aspe, Luis Flores and Luis Garcia on the scoresheet for the Mexicans.