National Holiday

Last night about 8:00 pm a National Holiday was declared for the next day when Honduras clinched their spot in the 2010 World Cup. You can't imagine the city last night with all the celebration taking place.

Ironies of a World Cup Clincher

By Marco Cáceres

It must be said that there is a degree of irony in that the last and only time Honduras made it to the World Cup (in 1982) was the year that the country's Constitution was written. The Constitution was completed on January 11, 1982 and went into effect shortly afterward on January 20. The '82 World Cup was held in Spain that summer, beginning on June 13 and ending with Italy's 3-1 win over Germany on July 11.

Now... 27 years later, the second time Honduras qualifies for a World Cup, it occurs during a year marked by political turmoil fueled by deposed president Manuel Zelaya's efforts to push through a process to re-write that same Constitution. Fascinating coincidence.

It is also ironic that the first Honduran player to score a goal in the '82 World Cup was a guy named "Zelaya". Héctor Zelaya scored his famous goal against the Spanish national team on June 16, 1982. While Zelaya is a common last name in Honduras, it's still kind of an interesting coincidence.

I must admit that I am further drawn to the irony that the team that Honduras has edged out for passage to the World Cup in South Africa next year is Costa Rica... the country to which Mr. Zelaya was flown to immediately after his arrest by the Honduran armed forces on June 28.

San José, Costa Rica was also the site of two rounds of talks in July between representatives of the Micheletti government and Mr. Zelaya. The talks were mediated by Costa Rica's president, Óscar Arias, who subsequently went on to win the ire of many Hondurans by trying to impose a deal which nobody seemed interested in signing and further by referring to the Honduran Constitution as the world's worst.

So now the Costa Rican national team must go off and play a pretty good team from Uruguay in a playoff match to determine the wild card entry from the Americas to the 2010 World Cup. Honduras' path to South Africa is clear. A little poetic justice perhaps?

Finally, I think it's always wonderful to see a little payback. Throughout the political crisis during the past three and a half months, the United States has been a pain in the neck for Honduras. In response to the ousting of Mr. Zelaya, Hillary and the US State Department have been extremely critical of Honduras and have tried to pressure the country's interim government by cutting military assistance, terminating more than $30 million in economic aid, and suspending
the issuing of visas to Honduran citizens. The Obama administration has insinuated that it might even entertain the idea of not recognizing the results of the presidential election on November 29.

Many in Honduras have felt betrayed by the US and perplexed as to why a traditional friend and ally would be so threatening. Enter Jonathan Bornstein. With only 20 seconds to play in the Costa Rica-US match, Costa Rica is leading 2-1. A Costa Rica win automatically sends the Costa Rican team to the World Cup. A tie or a loss opens the door for Honduras. Bornstein scores. The game ends 2-2. Honduras proceeds to the World Cup.

It may take a while for Honduras to fully forgive. But the handsome Mr. Bornstein is suddenly an Honduran hero, and there are more than a fair share of "thank you USA" signs showing up in street celebrations throughout Honduras. Not a bad start. By the way, I couldn't help but notice that both Bornstein's score and the goal by Carlos Pavón which lifted Honduras over El Salvador were both beautiful headers set up by assists from the right side of the field.

I love the spirit of sport (... in the case of Honduras, FUTBOL). Unlike the spirits of politics and religion, it is uncomplicated. The results are clear. It may well end up accomplishing what politicians, diplomats and bureaucrats have failed to do... unite the people of Honduras, at least for a few precious months. Sure would be great if nations could settle their conflicts on a green field with a leather ball.

Today the team arrived as National Heroes, a well deserved title.