Honduras Beat Haiti In Gold Cup

Honduras 1-0 Haiti
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In the first half of a Gold Cup doubleheader at Seattle’s Qwest Field, two of the smallest nations in CONCACAF squared off in a tense match. Honduras scored the only goal of the game, but Haiti should have been awarded a penalty kick to potentially net one goal.

Forward Carlos Costly used his height after receiving a cross from captain Walter Martinez to give the Hondurans their first 2009 Gold Cup win.
 
Referee Marco Rodriguez from Mexico wasted little time in notifying each side that he would initially call a close game. Honduran forward Allan Lalin was the recipient of the first yellow card of the match in the first minute of play.

While the scoring chances failed to materialise for either side, the yellow cards kept coming. In the 16th minute, referee Rodriguez issued his second yellow card of the match, to Haitian defender Pierre Richard Bruny for a hard tackle on Kansas City Wizards midfielder Roger Espinoza.

The third caution of the match was issued to Haitian defender Raymond Ednerson 14 minutes later. In the 32nd minute, Rodriguez kept his cards in place despite a clear foul by Honduras’ Lalin, who would have been sent off for his second yellow of the match.

Haiti’s first real scoring opportunity occurred in the 33rd minute, when Fabrice Noel sent a low shot just wide of the left post.

Honduran skipper Martinez sent a ball towards the right post four minutes later that was cleared by ‘keeper Zephrin for a corner kick. He soon sent a through pass to Costly in front of the net, who lost control of the ball.

Honduras nearly broke the deadlock before the half ended. Defender Nery Medina took a long-range shot that necessitated a hand deflection by Zephrin to keep the match goalless.
 
The first 15 minutes of the second half saw both teams sending long crosses into the box with no one to receive them.  

Honduras and Haiti traded numerous corner kicks starting in the 60th minute. In a span of ten minutes, the sides combined for at least nine corners that yielded some excitement but no goals.

Referee Rodriguez, who had issued four yellow cards until the 70th minute, kept his whistle and cards in his pocket on what appeared to be a clear foul on Hatian defender Brunel Fucien in the box. Honduran Marvin Chavez clearly brought down Fucien in the box, but no penalty was awarded.

Six minutes later, Honduras broke through. Martinez sent a free kick into the left side of the box to the lanky Costly. He went up high into the air over the Haitian defender to send the ball past a diving Zephrin to give Honduras a 1-0 lead.

In the 80th minute, Honduras missed an opportunity to double their lead. Goalie Escover sent a long kick deep into the Haitian end. Forward George Welcome sent the ball over the head of Escober as it appeared to be headed towards the net. Haitian defender Bruny pounced on the ball and barely cleared off the line to keep the score at 1-0.

Haiti threatened briefly as the game entered stoppage time. The Honduras defence made several clearances as time ran out to win the game.

John Zielonka, Goal.com