Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza has been selected to the Honduras Men’s National Team ahead of two pivotal World Cup qualifiers in CONCACAF’s Hexagonal.
Espinoza joins a 25-player roster assembled by head coach Jorge Luis Pinto in the buildup to away matches against Mexico on June 8 (9 p.m. CT) and Panama on June 13 (8:30 p.m. CT). The midfielder will serve a one-game red card suspension on Saturday when Sporting Kansas City hosts Minnesota United FC before joining Los Catrachos in Honduras.
Hexagonal Standings
Team |
PTS |
W |
L |
D |
GF |
GA |
GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mexico |
10 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
+4 |
Costa Rica |
7 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
3 |
+4 |
Panama |
5 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
USA |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
7 |
+1 |
<strong>Honduras</strong> |
<strong>4</strong> |
<strong>1</strong> |
<strong>2</strong> |
<strong>1</strong> |
<strong>4</strong> |
<strong>9</strong> |
<strong>-5</strong> |
Trinidad & Tobago |
3 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
-4 |
Currently occupying fifth place in the Hexagonal standings, Honduras is looking to clinch a third straight FIFA World Cup berth and its fourth overall. Every team in the Hex will play six more matches between now and October, with the top three automatically qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and the fourth-place finisher competing against an Asian team in a two-legged World Cup playoff in November.
Espinoza represented his country at both previous World Cups, appearing twice at the 2010 edition in South Africa and starting all three group stage matches at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. The midfielder has earned 52 caps for Los Catrachos since debuting in 2009, featuring at the 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Born in Puerto Cortes, Honduras and raised in Aurora, Colorado, Espinoza turned professional when he joined Kansas City as the 11th overall pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft out of Ohio State University. He has made 198 appearances for the club across all competitions during two separate stints in MLS, including starts in all 14 matches this season.
Espinoza is one of eight Sporting Kansas City players on the voting ballot for the 2017 MLS All-Star Game Fan XI presented by Target.
