Honduran Coach Calls Ticos ‘A Rising Team’

TEGUCIGALPA – Honduras’ newcoach for that country’s national soccerteam on Saturday said the upcomingqualifying match against Costa Rica forthe final eliminatory round before the2006 World Cup in Germany will beharder than the eliminatory round itself.José de La Paz, officially appointedHonduras’ head coach on Saturday, said,“Costa Rica is a rising team, but we havewhat it takes to beat them. We have thebest chances of making it to the hexagonal(final eliminatory round), and I feel thatthis (the Nov. 17 match against Costa Rica)is more difficult than the hexagonal.”Costa Rica has been on a spectacularwinning streak, beating Guatemala, theleader in its group for the current eliminatoryround, 5-0 on Oct. 9 and beatingCanada 3-1 on Oct. 13, knocking theCanadians out of the running (TT, Oct.15). Guatemala won a ticket to the finalround in spite of its clobbering by theTicos, leaving Honduras and Costa Ricato duke it out Nov. 17. Since Costa Ricais leading with points in this round, a winor a tie in the match against Honduraswill earn it a spot in the final round.The match is slated to be fought inHonduras in the San Pedro Sula OlympicMetropolitan Stadium, but Honduran officialsare pushing to move it to the smallerFrancisco Morazán Stadium.