Carlos Pavon scored four goals in the game, including three in the first half, to lead Honduras to a 5-0 win over Cuba in their final match of Group C play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Wednesday night at Reliant Stadium in front of a predominantly Honduran crowd.
The win clinched at least second place for Honduras, who could win the group if Mexico beats or ties with Panama, and eliminates Cuba, who went 0-2-1, from the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
With the goals against Cuba, Pavon became only the third player in Gold Cup history to score four times in a match. It is also the first multi-goal game for a Honduran at the Gold Cup since Eduardo Bennett's hat-trick in the 5-1 victory over Panama in the 1993 tournament.
Pavon scored on Honduras' first attack of the game in the third minute. Carlos Costly gave Pavon a centering pass in front of the goal, and Pavon nailed the open shot from just inside the goalkeeper box.
In the 10th minute, Pavon had another shot on a breakaway from the right side, but his shot hit the right side of the goal and went out of play. Just one minute later, Pavon headed the ball to himself after a long free kick. He then went through two Cuban defenders and while Cuban goalkeeper Odelin Molina came out of the box to try and bat down the ball, Pavon headed ball into the net from the middle of the box.
Cuba tried to get something going in the 14th minute, but Pedro Adriani Faife's cross in front of Honduran goal went to nobody and out of bounds. Honduras scoring chances continued when, in the 24th minute, Julio Cesar Leon duped two Cuban defenders and blasted a shot from the left side that rolled off the top of the crossbar. Eight minutes later, Costly had his short breakaway short breakaway shot go high.
Honduras had yet another chance in the 35th minute, but Edgar Alvarez's shot from outside the box went over the goal. Five minutes later, Alain Cervantes took the second shot of the half for Cuba, but his shot from outside the right corner of the box was not on target.
In the 42nd minute, Honduras had a 4-on-2 breakaway opportunity go awry when Amado Guevara's shot was deflected out, but on the ensuing corner kick, Leon found a charging Pavon, who headed the ball into the middle of the net for his third goal in the first half.
Pavon started off right where he left off in the second half with his fourth goal in the 53rd minute. Pavon took a pass in front of goal from Leon and snaked it around Molina and into left corner. It looked as if Cuba would get on the board a minute later, but Enrique Villaurrutia's goal off a shot from outside the center box was disallowed because he was offsides.
Honduras looked as if they were going to tack on another goal in the 60th minute, but an Oscar Bonieck Garcia cross from the right side was batted down by Molina. In the 67th minute, Costly took a shot from the left that was easily tucked away by Molina. Cuba tried getting on the board in the 84th minute, but Honduras' keeper Orlin Vallecillo easily saved Leonel Duarte's turnaround shot from the left side.
In the 73rd minute, Cuba's Reysander Fernandez was issued a yellow card, and in the 87th minute teammate Alain Cervantes was issued a red card for tripping Carlos Oliva from behind. Oliva was issued a yellow in the 83rd minute.
Honduras' final goal came in the 89th minute when Amado Guevara nailed a penalty kick to the right and past Molina, who was badly fooled on the play and going to the left. Guevara was awarded the penalty kick after Cuba's Yenier Marquez tripped up Oliva on the right side of the box.
Honduras dominated taking 16 shots on goal to Cuba's five, but Honduras committed 18 fouls to the Cuban's 12.
With the win, Honduras advances to the quarterfinals where they will play either Guadelupe or El Salvador, third-place finishers in Group A and Group B, respectively, or Costa Rica, who finished second in Group A.
Jeremy Rakes is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
