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Honduras basks Last-minute replacement gives Copa a big thrill
MANIZALES, Colombia -- For many teams, playing for third place is a melancholy reminder of what might have been. Not for Honduras. When the team faces Uruguay in the consolation match Sunday, they will do it with heads high as the proud overachievers of the Copa America. "The balance was all positive," said Honduran coach Ramon Maradiaga, whose team was applauded on Thursday as it fell 2-0 to Colombia in the semifinals. While Honduras exceeded all expectations in its first Copa America, they hardly could have been lower when the tournament began. Called in as a last-minute replacement when Argentina dropped out, the team got here on the eve of its first game, with no training time and missing its top stars. Maradiaga couldn't call his top international players or even the best from his own country, where the semifinals of the national championship were under way. His solution was to name 10 players from the local Motagua club, hoping that their teamwork would give his squad some glue. Things got worse when Honduras immediately lost Cagliari striker David Suazo and defender Milton Reyes to injuries. When the team fell 1-0 to Costa Rica in its opener, nearly everyone figured the Hondurans for three-and-out. "But that's when the courage of my players appeared," Maradiaga said. Led by talented midfielder Amado Guevara, Honduras surprised Bolivia 2-0 in the next game and followed with a 1-0 win over 14-time champion Uruguay to set up a quarterfinal date with defending champion Brazil. That's when the team made history. The Hondurans withstood an initial barrage, then calmly picked apart the four-time World Cup champions. Their 2-0 win was the team's first ever over Brazil and moved Honduras into the semifinals. Although Colombia quickly took a 1-0 lead, Honduras battled back and had a chance to tie it in the second period when a free kick by Julio Cesar Leon hit the crossbar. "At times Honduras silenced the fans," said the local newspaper La Patria. Whatever the outcome of Sunday's game, Honduras earned the respect of fans and a prominent place in Copa America history. But, as usual, losing isn't even a consideration for Honduras. "I congratulated the players in the locker room," Maradiaga said. "I told them they should feel proud and to go out and win the game for third place."
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