by Rod Hughes

Costa Rica’s All Star team (la Sele) fought Honduras to a standstill yesterday in an exhibition game in East Hartford, Connecticutt (USA), playing an ordered soccer style that shows much improvement over recent performances.
All eyes were on Honduran star forward, David Suazo, 27, who currently plays for Inter de Milan, in other words, for the BIG boys in the Italian first division. But he complains that the referee was not keeping enough of an eye on him when he alleges he was fouled most foully but heard not a chirp from the official’s whistle.
But, as La Nacion sportswriter Jose Luis Rodriguez noted, “one must remember that soccer has 11 players and David Suazo, no matter how brilliant he is in Italy, cannot win a game by himself.”
Costa Rica played a much more aggressive first half than the team had in its last lackluster attempt, against Peru, and made seven attacks on the goal besides a goal that Victor Cordero actually made–only to see it nullified by a judge in the midst of his celebration. That decision is doubted.
In the second half, still scoreless, Honduras redoubled its efforts and made three near misses including a blast from Julio Cesar de Leon that rebounded from the left vertical frame of the goal guarded by Costa Rica’s Jose Francisco Porras.
But Costa Rica was not sleeping and continued threatening, including with its own breathtaker when forward Ronald Gomez took a fine pass from Brian Ruiz and slammed it into the horizontal goal brace.
It should be noted that dependable midfielder Walter Centeno was on the receiving end of many fouls–and kept his professional cool. He has a reputation for hotheadedness.
Of the penalty kicks, only Cordero missed for La Sele while Armando Guevara, Carlo Costly (an apt last name in this case) and, surprisingly, Suazo failed for Honduras.
It might be wise to mention that Honduras played without star forward Carlos Pavon. Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda was much perturbed when Pavon’s MLS team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, refused to let Pavon free. This is not only discourteous but against FIFA regs.