Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza announced today his retirement from the Honduras Men’s National Team after representing Los Catrachos at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, the 2012 Olympics and three editions of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Espinoza, 32, has logged 53 appearances for Honduras since debuting at the 2009 Concacaf Gold Cup. The midfielder scored four international goals and featured regularly during the most successful decade in the national team’s history.
After a 28-year World Cup absence, Honduras returned to the quadrennial tournament in 2010 with Espinoza starting two group-stage matches in South Africa. He made his second Gold Cup appearance the following summer before starring at the 2012 Olympics in London, where he famously scored a goal against Brazil in a 3-2 quarterfinal defeat.
Espinoza steered Honduras to their second straight World Cup berth in 2014, starting all three group-stage fixtures in Brazil. He then competed in his third Gold Cup in 2015 prior to starting in five qualifying matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
In 10 seasons with Sporting KC, Espinoza is tied for fourth in club history with 273 appearances across all competitions, amassing nine goals and 38 assists. His first stint with the club spanned from 2008-2012 and was followed by a two-year stay in England with Wigan Athletic, where he won the 2013 FA Cup. Espinoza, who returned to Kansas City in 2015, has helped Sporting to three Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles and seven playoff appearances.
Espinoza and Sporting kick off a three-game homestand Saturday when the San Jose Earthquakes visits Children’s Mercy Park for a 7:30 p.m. CT kickoff. Tickets for the match are available at SeatGeek.com and the first 7,500 fans through the stadium gates will receive a free wall decal courtesy of Dairy Farmers of America.
