Mexico - Honduras Running Blog

This is for the spot in the Gold Cup final - the USA is there courtesy of their 1-0 victory over Panama earlier today.

3 - Already Chicharito has threatened the Hondo goal. Not wasting any time, that one.

4 - Guardado is a beast, and his outside shot just now doesn't miss by much. Props to my fave El Tri player.

7 - Efrain Juarez saves a Honduras run from getting dangerous with a timely tackle.

9 - Pablo Barrera steals the ball, but then can't decide what to do in the box and muffs the attacking chance.

12 - Guardado is creating a ton of chances, but Hector Moreno's header is wide.

14 - Honestly, both Honduras and Mexico look like they could beat the USA right now. El Tri is lively in the attack, Honduras tough on defense.

16 - Guardado gets cleaned out on a tackle by Bernardez. Wow, he got hit hard.

18 - Barrera with another shot - this one from outside. Wide.

20 - Mexico players are testy after the tackle Guardado and tackling hard in return.

22 - Gio Dos Santos looks like he drew a corner, but Honduras escape after some sloppy defending in the back.

25 - Foul on Honduras, who is having a lot of trouble creating - and then suddenly a shot from Hondo. Wide, but at least a bit of a threat there. Slightly.

28 - Clash of heads. Ouch.

32 - Chicha threatens - but it comes to nothing.

34 - Portillo goes down - Mexico playing rough as well. Free kick to Honduras - way too low and El Tri takes off with it.

35 - Guardado down for a bit, but back up. Mejia's corner for Hondo comes to nothing.

37 - Hondo threatens. Guardado, meanwhile, is still limping. Replay shows the tackle twisted his ankle underneath. Ref missed it.

39 - Portillo takes Barrera down from behind. Ref does pull a card on this one.

41 - Over 80% of people texting in to answer the poll believe Mexico will make the Gold Cup final.

42 - Guardado and Chicharito combine in the box, but a collision with a defender isn't ruled a PK.

45 - Mexico pushing hard for a goal, Guardado in the box again, but his cross his cut off. Honduras trying to hang on until the half ends.

The strategy for Honduras may be to load up the first half with tough defenders, and then let on some skill players, ie, Ramon Nunez, in the second half. Bermudez is limping now.

50 - Free kick to Mexico in a dangerous spot - but Marquez kicks the ball too hard. Less power, more precision needed.

52 - Honduras with a little run of possession. Not much, but enough to provoke Juarez to lunge for a ball and get a yellow for cleating Portillo's leg as both went for a ball in the air.

54 - Guardado is out. Probably saving him from getting hurt more before the final. Question is, can Mexico reach the final without him. He's done most of the creating. On the other hand, he's gotten knocked around so much he's subdued of late.

55 - Honduras corner caught by Talavera.

57 - Torres Nilo is in for Salcido - and then a dangerous El Tri attack dies due to offside.

58 - Replay is inconclusive.

60- Hendry Thomas then promptly earns an offside call for Honduras. No replay needed, it was clear.

61 - Ramoncito is in for Honduras. Portillo is out. Let's see what the little prince can do.

63 - Not bad, he sends a pass through that frees a player - oh, no. Offside.

65 - Dos Santos dancing with the ball finally penetrates, but his pass into the box was too far for his teammates to reach.

66 - Valladares has to save a rebound from one of his own defenders - was nearly a perfect pass to an El Tri attacker.

68 - Barrera shoots from distance - Valladares punch save sends the ball shooting straight up - it hits the crossbar on the way down. Corner. Honduras escapes. The El Tri crowd is hyped, cheering their team on.

69 - Bengston gets a corner for Honduras. Nunez to take it. It shoots over everyone - no one far post to take a crack at it. Waste.

70 - Bengston's night is over. Costly comes in for him. He could really trouble El Tri.

72 - Now the announcers are mentioning extra time. Mexico is closing in on the time the USA scored their own hard-earned goal versus Panama. Yet it's pretty certain that Honduras is a better team than Panama. Sabillon earns a yellow.

73 - Free kick taken by Barrera, Chicha gets on to it, but his header goes awry. Wide right.

74 - Another yellow card for Honduras. Late tackle by Garcia.

75 - "Si Se puede!" The Mexican fans urge their team on.

77 - Honduras on the attack and Mejia gets a corner. Poor. It wasn't Nunez taking it this time, though.

78 - Costly goes down in the box - but no PK. He's pissed.

81 - MLS gets a mention in relation to Nunez. Hugo Sanchez chimes in, mentioning his time with the club.

83 - The worry with extra time seems to be that Mexico's players will be tired versus the USA. It doesn't seem as if El Tri is really worried about losing this game, more that they're mad they haven't won it already.

85 - Roger Espinoza of Sporting Kansas City threads a pass into the box for Costly - who is offside.

86 - It's about five minutes away from extra time.

88 - On a counter, Dos Santos has a clean break on the goalkeeper and HE SHOOTS IT WIDE!

89 - Chance of the game, and it's gone now. That's one to remember if Mexico has trouble putting this game away in extra time.

90 - Espinoza with an attack he started takes a shot at Talavares - who is forced into a save. Well done by both.

90+ The corner is dangerous and Espinoza gets another attack going, which ends with Talavera getting bumped hard - yellow card to Honduran attacker. Talavera rolls around for a bit, but seems fine.

Extra Time: Mexico still has to be favored, but Espinoza and Nunez both looked lively for Honduras at the end. Could switch the script with the right play.

92 - Mexico wants to put the game away in the first minute of extra time, attacking hard.

94 - Corner for Mexico - GOAL! Aldo de Nigris puts it away. He got up very well for the excellent service. He celebrates with a flying side kick into the corner flag. He gets a yellow.

96 - Honduras is on the attack. El Tri have to defend their lead.

98 - Then again, with Hondo committed to the attack, Mexico is getting more counter chances.

99 - Corner for Mexico. Chicha puts it in! GOAL!

100 - Ok, did he use his arm? Looked like it on the replay. Anyway, ref didn't see it, and Mexico has some breathing room now.

103 - With the cushion, Mexico don't have to run as hard for the rest of extra time, and can thus minimize the effort expended compared to the USA's game ending in regulation. Fatigue will be a lot less of a factor.

105 - Seriously, El Tri are looking inspired in the attack. Not sure if that's a good idea, as more attacks burn up more energy. Fun to see, though.

Second Extra Time Period

107 - Espinoza is pissed and gets a yellow card.

The rest of the match played out rather tepidly. It's over now. The big final is set. USA - Mexico.

Predictions?