Kansas City Wizards Espinoza Called to Honduras National Team for Upcoming World Cup Qualifiers
May 26, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
(May 26, 2009) - Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza has been named to the 23-man Honduras roster for a pair of upcoming World Cup Qualifiers. Espinoza joins Toronto FC star Amado Guevara as the only MLS players named to Head Coach Reinaldo Rueda squad for games June 6 against the United States in Chicago and June 10 against El Salvador. Espinoza will be available to Wizards Head Coach Curt Onalfo for selection Saturday against the Los Angeles Galaxy before reporting to Honduras camp next Monday in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Honduras currently occupies 3rd place in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. If qualification ended today, Honduras would qualify automatically to the 2010 World Cup along with the United States and Costa Rica, while Mexico would play the 5th seeded team from South America's Confederation for a place in the South Africa World Cup. Honduras is 1-1-1 after a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica, a 1-1 tie with Trinidad and Tobago and a 3-1 win over Mexico.
Espinoza earned his first appearance for his birth nation Jan. 22 in Honduras' first game of the 2009 UNCAF (Central American Football Union) Nations Cup. Espinoza appeared three times during the five-game tournament, scoring his first goal in the 3rd place match to give Honduras a 1-0 win. Espinoza stayed with the National Team for a World Cup Qualifying loss to Costa Rica Feb. 11 but did not make the game roster. Espinoza was then called to Honduras camp again for a pair of qualifiers March 28 against Trinidad and Tobago and April 1 against Mexico. He did not enter either match, though he was on the 18-man roster against Mexico.
Espinoza will become the 5th current Wizards player with World Cup Qualifying experience should he enter either upcoming match. Defender Jimmy Conrad, midfielder Davy Arnaud and forward Josh Wolff have all appeared in at least one qualifier for the United States. Striker Claudio Lopez has appeared in qualifiers for Argentina. Conrad, Lopez and Wolff also have World Cup experience.
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