Matchday, one of the 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League season, concludes on Friday evening when Honduras host Trinidad and Tobago at Estadio Nacional Chelato Ucles in Tegucigalpa.
At this tournament last year, both sides advanced into the quarter-finals before each being eliminated, with La H losing their last eight tie to Mexico on penalties, while the Soca Warriors were beaten at that same stage, 4-2 on aggregate against the eventual champions, the USA.
Match preview
© Imago
In this tournament last season, the Hondurans learned a hard lesson about what can happen when you get a little too complacent.
Leading by two goals after the opening leg of their quarter-final tie versus the Mexicans, Reinaldo Rueda’s side resorted to time-wasting and hanging back in the return engagement and were punished accordingly, conceding the equaliser in the 11th minute of stoppage time and missing two of their penalties in the shootout.
The Hondurans followed up that disappointment with a playoff defeat to Costa Rica (3-1), missing a spot at the Copa America this past summer as a result.
Since their previous Nations League campaign ended, Honduras have suffered just one defeat in five successive competitive fixtures, losing 2-1 to Ecuador in a June friendly.
Their home form at this tournament last season enabled them to finish in the top two, with Los Catrachos winning their two Nations League group affairs at Estadio Nacional Chelato Ucles by a combined margin of 8-0.
Honduras come into this contest on a five-match unbeaten run versus Caribbean opponents, including victories over Cuba (3-1) and Bermuda (6-1) in the second round of 2026 CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
© Imago
One of the surprise packages in the Nations League last year was Trinidad and Tobago, who finished second in Group A, one point below Panama, winning three of four fixtures.
The architect of that achievement and their consistent form of late, Angus Eve, was surprisingly sacked in August despite numerous positive results for the senior side.
Under Eve, they only suffered one defeat in their last six competitive fixtures, losing 2-0 to Canada in their Nations League playoff but winning their most recent World Cup qualifier impressively, 7-1 against the Bahamas.
For now, Derek King will be the caretaker manager of TNT, previously serving as an assistant to former head coach Stephen Hart, when the Soca Warriors made it to two Gold Cup quarter-finals (2013 and 2015) and achieved a FIFA ranking of 49th.
Coming into this match, Trinidad and Tobago are 100th in the FIFA men’s rankings, winning half of their encounters at this tournament last season (3/6) when conceding the opener.
TNT have lost their last four meetings versus Honduras across all competitions and have yet to earn an away victory against them since a 1-0 triumph at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in October 2001.
Honduras form (all competitions):
Trinidad and Tobago form (all competitions):
Team News
© Imago
From their convincing 6-1 triumph over Bermuda to their defeat versus Ecuador, only four Hondurans maintained their place in the starting 11, Edrick Menjivar, Andy Najar, Carlos Melendez and Luis Vega.
Bryan Rochez had their only strike versus Ecuador, while he and Edwin Rodriguez scored twice in the previous Nations League campaign, with Anthony Lozano leading the team with three goals.
In his first match in charge of Trinidad and Tobago, King will be without Levi Garcia, who requested time off, while Ajani Fortune is also unavailable.
Malcolm Shaw and Duane Muckette each netted a brace in their victory against the Bahamas, with Nathaniel James, Reon Moore and Alvin Jones also finding the mark.
Honduras possible starting lineup:
Menjivar; Najar, Maldonado, D. Garcia; Flores, Arriaga, Rosales, Ruiz; Rochez, Palma; Lozano
Trinidad and Tobago possible starting lineup:
Smith; Jones, David, J. Garcia, Hodge; Rampersad, Muckette, Powder; James, Moore; Gill
We say: Honduras 2-0 Trinidad and Tobago
Without two key chance creators in Garcia and Fortune, it will be difficult for TNT to penetrate an experienced Honduran defensive unit, who have fared well against Caribbean opposition.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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Publish date : 2024-09-03 18:45:00
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