Soccer

Suarez names Honduras World Cup squad

There are six British based players in the 23-man panel that will travel to the finals in Brazil

A view of the Sugar Loaf mountain, as the sun rises in Rio de Janeiro this morning. Photograph: /Sergio Moraes/Reuters
A view of the Sugar Loaf mountain, as the sun rises in Rio de Janeiro this morning. Photograph: /Sergio Moraes/Reuters
Tue May 06 2014 - 09:57

Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez has announced his 23-man squad for the World Cup.

Suarez has included six British-based players in his list for next month's tournament in Brazil, with Hull defender Maynor Figueroa, Stoke midfielder Wilson Palacios, Wigan duo Roger Espinoza and Juan Carlos Garcia, plus Celtic defender Emilio Izaguirre and Rangers midfielder Arnold Peralta all selected.

Suarez said: “I ask the ones who have not been called up to understand. A lot of players were part of this process, but only 23 can be called. I cannot keep everybody satisfied.”

Twenty-year-old Luis Lopez, meanwhile, pipped a number of prospective rivals to earn himself one of the three goalkeeping berths in the squad thanks to his good form for Real Espana this season.

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“This (domestic) league has had good keepers such as Yul Arzu, John Bodden, Jose Mendoza....Luis has enormous potential and soon will replace Noel Valladares,” added Suarez at a press conference in Tegucigalpa.

Honduras travel to the United States next Monday to play three warm-up friendlies ahead of the World Cup.

They face Turkey in Washington on May 29th before meeting Israel in Houston on June 1st. Six days later they face England in Miami before heading into the finals, where they will meet France, Ecuador and Switzerland in Group E.

Honduras' World Cup squad: Noel Valladares, Donis Escober (both Olimpia), Luis Lopez (Real Espana); Brayan Beckeles (Olimpia), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Juan Carlos Garcia (Wigan), Maynor Figueroa (Hull), Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Osman Chavez (Qingdao Janoon), Juan Pablo Montes (Motagua); Arnold Peralta (Rangers), Luis Garrido (Olimpia), Roger Espinoza (Wigan), Jorge Claros (Motagua), Wilson Palacios (Stoke), Oscar Garcia (Houston Dynamo), Andy Najar (Anderlecht), Mario Martinez (Real Espana), Marvin Chavez (Colorado Rapids); Jerry Bengtson (New England Revolution), Jerry Palacios (Alajuelense), Carlo Costly (Real Espana), Rony Martinez (Real Sociedad).