Jerry Bengston took advantage of a defensive mix-up to score the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute, and host Honduras rallied to beat the United States 2-1 Wednesday in the opener of the final qualifying round for next year’s World Cup.
Clint Dempsey put the U.S. ahead in the 36th minute, but the Americans, using a new-look defense that featured Omar Gonzalez and Timmy Chandler, gave up the lead when Juan Carlos Garcia tied the score with a bicycle kick in the 40th at San Pedro Sula. Playing without Landon Donovan, a veteran of three World Cups who is unsure whether to continue his career, the 28th-ranked U.S. was under pressure for much of the match. No. 59 Honduras had the better chances, forcing Howard into several difficult saves.
The U.S., which had been 12-3-3 against Honduras, lost its final-round opener for the first time in five games since the “hexagonal" format was adopted in qualifying for the 1998 tournament. The top three nations in the six-team group represent North and Central America and the Caribbean at next year’s tournament in Brazil, and the No. 4 country advances to a playoff for another berth.
— The Associated Press
