The US national team's biggest boon has quickly developed into one of the key threats to 2018 World Cup qualification.
Just as MLS has provided nearly full-roster representation for the US – especially given a recent rash of injuries – Friday's opponent, Honduras (10:30 pm ET; FS1, UniMás, UDN, Follow on the MLS App), features five current MLSers and another four with ties to the US-based leagues (We see you, Andy Najar!)
With the US facing a razor-thin margin after a pair of opening losses in the Hexagonal, they are chasing a full result ahead of a tough Tuesday matchup against Panama at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City (10pm ET | beIN Sports, Telemundo, NBC Universo). And they'll need to be on guard from the opening kick, with El Honduras Dynamo forwards Alberth Elis and Romell Quioto lining up on the flanks.
Texas-based journalist Jon Arnold, who covers mainly North and Central America for Goal.com, along with FC Dallas for The Dallas Morning News SportsDay, says that for a Honduras side that has (fairly or not for a country of its profile) developed an every-four-years expectation to reach the World Cup field, the Houston Dynamo forwards provide a previously unknown danger atop the attack.
"I think these are two guys who, with reason, have given Honduras a lot of hope that they have guys who can put the ball in the back of the net," Arnold told MLSsoccer.com over the phone. "[It's] something that they were sort of lacking in the past two or three years, maybe even before that because in the World Cup I mean they [barely scored] at all. So maybe this is the first time they've had forwards of this caliber … and I think there's a lot of expectation on them even though they're pretty young."
The attacking duo have lit up the early action for Houston, with Quioto pouring in three goals (including Week 1's AT&T Goal of the Week) and Elis chipping in another while repeatedly showcasing the burners that earned him a sale to Monterrey last season, preceding this year's loan to Houston. The club spent the better part of two years tracking both players, who first played alongside each other for Honduran power Olimpia.
General Manager/Vice President Matt Jordan says it was head coach Wilmer Cabrera who not only accelerated the acquisitions, but provided a crucial bit of glad-handing:
"When Wilmer was hired, right away he said to us, 'You know [Elis] was a player that he really liked, and he'd watched quite a bit when he was scouting the CONCACAF qualification tournaments. Obviously, we'd seen both Elis and Quioto in the Olympics as well," Jordan tells MLSsoccer.com in a phone conversation.
"We aggressively went after Elis, and it was a long process. And we actually went down to watch a qualifier, and when we were in the airport, Wilmer and Elis actually crossed paths and were talking. And we had the opportunity also to speak with his family at in the airport as well."
Cabrera, asked about the incident by MLSsoccer.com, laughs: "You know, sometimes, it's better to have good timing than than any other thing. That opened the possibility for him to come over here, and it worked out."
Sometimes, it really is that simple. It doesn't hurt that Houston has developed something of a Honduran pipeline, with 32-year-old Boniek Garcia serving as the "elder" statesman and a diverse local community including a strong Honduran fanbase.
Cabrera credited Garcia with reaching out to Elis and Quioto, selling them on the environment and the club. For Jordan, it was the groundwork laid by Garcia's acquisition – and success – with Houston that helped ease the transition for the young forwards, a pattern he's seen repeated to the Dynamo's benefit ever since Garcia joined the team in 2012.
All three players are on Friday's Honduras roster, joined by FC Dallas defender and national team captain Maynor Figueroa, along with Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza. Dynamo teammate DaMarcus Beasley – veteran of four World Cups for the US – will be in the mix for the opposition, given all the host team's fullback woes.
"It's an important game for both countries and we expect it to be a very intense intense matchup," Jordan says. "We probably have a different dynamic to the game in that we have you know we have three veterans and they're participating in the game. It's just validation of their hard work and good form with the Houston Dynamo."
If Elis and Quioto continue their fine form on the national stage, they could well put the US on the back foot in a match they can't afford to concede. Elis' speed and Quioto's propensity for putting himself in the right position to make something happen – as Arnold puts it, the 'Oh, that's smart' play which doesn't hit the highlight reel every time – are going to challenge the US backline.
Right now, both teams are on the outside looking in, with Honduras sitting fourth; a challenging Tuesday follow against Costa Rica awaits if they drop points to the US. An appearance in Russia might just hang in the balance, and if either of these teams advance, they'll have MLS to thank.
