CONCACAF World Cup Qualification betting preview: Mexico -Honduras

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I have previewed four matches/events for subscribers today, probably the least interesting one (sorry !) , can be read below, but at least it is free !

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World Cup Qualification: Mexico -Honduras

Just a few words about this , league table is below. This is big for both, but absolutely massive for Mexico, who go to play the US in Columbus on Tuesday, imagine going there with 9 points or less and giving the hosts the chance to inflict major damage on their most bitter rival. El Tri simply have to win tonight, several players have called it the biggest match of their career and "one which will have the greatest impact on Mexico". Home coach Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre (who has already had several "votes of confidence") has opted for experience and plenty of it tonight, with eight players in his squad aged 30 +, pressure is intense after three straight home group draws without scoring. That is just unheard of and unacceptable for this football crazy country, Costa Rica, Jamaica and the US all came with blanket defense tactics and Honduras are definitely arriving with similar tactics in mind and have admitted as much. It might be that if they score one, the floodgates could open for Mexico and Honduras would have to open up more, but both will have one eye on hugely important fixtures on Tuesday and that will be at the back of their mind. If Honduras lost tonight, but beat Panama, they would probably be "happy" with that, so they will not want to leave everything on the pitch this evening . So, a hugely motivated Mexico, but one which might go into their shell and look to retain possession if and when they do go ahead. This is a very tight group, none of the 18 matches have been won by more than two goals and six of the 11 wins have been by a single goal. I like Mexico to win by exactly one goal which is offered at circa 3.25-3.40 and can also be backed by betting the draw on the traditional (-1 goal) handicap, that is a 1 unit selection. I previewed the reverse fixture which ended 2-2 earlier this year and that is also reproduced below.

Good Luck.

Honduras- Mexico (written March 22nd)

If Mexico had beaten Jamaica on Matchday 1 of the final CONCACAF qualifying stage, I would have been "all over" Honduras here getting a handicap start, as it is, I have had to scale things down slightly as the visitors would like to host the USA on Tuesday with four points to their name, but I am still content to take the hosts with the draw on our side. Honduras did us a big favour back in October when we were firmly in their camp for the visit of Canada.....

Effectively the hosts need to win to make the final group stage, the visitors just a point, there is a scenario where both could go through, but that would involve Panama losing at Cuba, who are 0-0-5 and haven't even scored a goal and that is simply not going to happen, the players would dare not return home if it did and that result allowed this pair to contrive to put the current group leaders out . Forget about that, Cuba are very poor and the only way they will get a result, is if news comes through that Honduras or Canada are three goals up late in the game .

This is going to be very tough for Canada, San Pedro Sula is a terrifying place, it is the world's most dangerous metropolitan area, with 159 homicides per 100,000 people and 11 were murdered over last weekend alone, eight on a soccer field. One Canadian supporter had arrived here on Monday and will be joined by a couple more later today, but only the brave or stupid are making the trip.

If the city is frightening, the football stadium is a step up from that, there are massive fences topped with barbed wire all around the pitch, a moat and even a metal grid stopping fans getting down the tunnel, if they can find a way over the first two obstacles.The home fans love their football and make a lot of noise and the atmosphere is incredibly daunting, no, scary ! Sorry to go on, but this is going to be made even more of an ordeal by the weather, conditions are  hot and steamy, probably 32 degress + and very humid at kick off and a good chance of thunderstorms in the area. Everything about this match will seem surreal and alien to the Canadians and it seems sure to have an effect.

It is hard to explain how important this is to the hosts, yesterday was a national holiday and it has been turned into a two day break because of the match, there will be 40,000 packed inside the stadium and failure is not really an option. During their sole visit to the arena for training yesterday, music was blaring at full volumne over loudspeakers the whole session and trying to make the visitors comfortable in their surroundings was not really a concern.

Canada have not made the final group round since 1997 and will have to do so today with best player Dwayne De Rosario and suspended striker Olivier Occean, called up in his place is 19 yo Lucas Cavallini, he has only played once before and had a late 20 + hour journey to arrive here. Canada have had two 1-0 wins in the group so far and those goals were scored by De Rosario and Occean and they are huge and experienced losses to the team, on a day when a cool head will be desperately needed.

Coach Stephen Hart grew up in the Caribbean and is used to heat, but said the conditions were brutal and he was only talking about the weather, add the other elements into the mix and only the strongest will not wilt.

Hey, nice preview ! Honduras actually won that 8-1 ! They met the US here last month and came from behind to win 2-1 and as the only team to win their opener, sit top of the group, win today and they are in a pole position to qualify, draw and they will still like their chances in a group where three qualify automatically , given that Mexico and US dominate proceedings and will take points off all the other teams at some stage. Home coach Luis Fernando Suárez had great success with Ecuador (2006 World Cup) and has been brave over the last 12 months, getting rid of a number of "big" name players from his squad, like Sabillon, Palacios, Welcome and Suazo, a couple were getting a bit long in the tooth, but more importantly, were not in tune with what the Colombian was looking to do. He still has plenty of experience in the squad, but now, everyone is moving in the same direction.

The visitors are much the better team man for man of course, but these are terrifying surroundings and whilst players having grown up in Mexico might be better suited to them than the North Americans, El Tri have not won here in just shy of 20 years, six visitits, five defeats. Also, as much as they would like the win, Mexico host the USA on Tuesday and the closest I can get to comparing that, is Scotland at home to England , or North Korea playing in Seoul ! They just cannot afford to give everything tonight, lose and be left completely drained for Tuesday. Anyway, a slightly tempered 1.25 units Honduras +0.25 ball 2.02 asian line/ Ibramarket.

 
 
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