5 Things the U.S. Should Fear from Honduras

Jurgen Klinsmann and the U.S. men's national team are playing fine soccer as of late, and are well on their way to qualifying for the World Cup in Brazil.

There is still work for them to do, however, and the next stop on their journey comes Tuesday night against Honduras in Salt Lake City.

The match is critical for the U.S. because winning at home in the Hexagonal round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying is a key ingredient in the recipe for qualification. Not to mention that Honduras smacked the Yanks around in their first match, winning 2-1 on a blistering day in Honduras.

As such, the U.S. will need to be wary of a dangerous Honduran side fully stocked with quality attacking players. Here are five things the U.S. should fear from Honduras. 

MLS fans are certainly familiar with Roger Espinoza, who ran the show in the midfield for Sporting Kansas City before heading to the English Premier League side Wigan.

Espinoza is the type of two-way player that will give the U.S. fits. He can run forever, and also possess the ability to thread dangerous diagonal passes.The Honduran is strong on the ball and is rarely dispossessed. 

The U.S. midfield will need to be up to the task of containing Espinoza.

The Yanks have gotten into a nasty habit of conceding late goals recently. It started in their friendly against Germany, when the U.S. let a 4-1 lead slip away only to hold on to barely win the match 4-3.

Against Jamaica, the U.S. defense was caught napping on a late set piece that could have ruined a fine effort from Klinsmann’s men had Brad Evans not saved the day with his late game-winner. 

Prioritizing the last 10-15 minutes of the match defensively is necessary given this leaky history—particularly if the U.S. only has a scant one-goal lead.  They will need to shut down the Honduran attack at all costs.  

Seattle Sounders fans understand how dangerous Mario Martinez’s left foot can be.

The speedy and talented winger is creative enough to slice slick passes in the final third, and crafty enough in the dribble to get around defenders.

He can rip the leather off the ball, too, and often finds the frame. 

The Yanks will need to key in on Martinez, as he is absolutely capable of ruining the party in Salt Lake City. 

The U.S. is historically tidy in snuffing out dangerous set piece opportunities.

With big, athletic backs and a priority on limiting opportunities, the Yanks have usually kept opponents at bay in that phase of play. 

However, the U.S. allowed both Germany and Jamaica to score in dead ball situations. That needs to change against Honduras, who have talented set piece servers. A clean sheet is always the goal, so discipline in marking in these circumstances is a must. 

Things are certainly quite rosy for the U.S. in the Hexagonal. They sit atop the group with home matches against Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico still to be played. Their brand of soccer has been quality, too. 

That said, they simply cannot afford to be satisfied with their two-game winning streak. In order to really put their stamp on the group they must dominate Honduras and nab all three points.

Focus and an understanding of the task that lies before them against Honduras are pivotal keys as they prepare for Tuesday evening in Salt Lake City.