13/6/2007 - 22:50(EST)

Pavon takes Honduras to the quarterfinals

Carlos Pavon scored four goals in the game, including three times 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.

13/JUN/2007 - The win clinches 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 becomes 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 catracho at the Gold Cup since Eduardo Bennett’s hat-trick in the 5:1 victory over Panama in the1993 edition.

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 hit 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 hits the right side of the goal and went out of play. One minute later, Pavon headed the ball to himself after a long free kick. Pavon went through two Cuban defenders and while Cuban goalkeeper Odelin Molina comes out of the box to try and bat down the ball, Pavon heads 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 goes to nobody and out of bounce. Honduras continued getting shots as in the 24th minute, Julio Cesar Leon duped two Cuban defenders and takes a shot from the left side that rolled off the top of the crossbar. Eight minutes later, Costly has his short breakaway short breakaway shot go high.

Honduras has another chance in the 35th minute, but Edgar Alvarez’s shot from outside the box went high. 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 sailed high.

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 the by Oscar Bonieck Garcia 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 eight shots on goal to Cuba’s one, but Honduras also committed 18 fouls to 12 by Cuba.

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.

CUBA - HONDURAS 5:0 (3:0)
9- Carlos Pavon (HON), Assist 13- Carlos Costly, 3’

9- Carlos Pavon (HON), 12’

9- Carlos Pavon (HON), Assist 10- Julio Cesar Leon, 43’

9- Carlos Pavon (HON), Assist 10- Julio Cesar Leon, 53’

20- Amado Guevara (HON), 90’

HON: 12- Orlin Vallecillo, 3- Maynor Figueroa, 4- Jorge Samuel Caballeros, 9- Carlos Pavon (8- Wilson Palacios 62’), 10- Julio Cesar Leon (7- Emil Martinez 66’), 13- Carlos Costly, 14- Oscar Bonieck Garcia, 17- Edgar Alvarez (16- Carlos Oliva 71’), 19- Mario Rodríguez, 20- Amado Guevara, 21- Emilio Izaguirre

DNP / No jugaron: 5- Erick Vallecilo, 6- Sergio Mendoza, 11- Jairo Martinez, 22- Donaldo Morales

TD: Reinaldo Rueda (COL)

CUB: 1- Odelin Molina, 3- Yenier Marquez, 5- Jorge Luis Clavelo, 9- Alain Cervantes, 11- Enrique Villaurrutia (7- Ariel Martinez 57’), 13- Adonis Ramos (19- Leonel Duarte 57’), 14- Jaime Colomé, 15- Gisbel Morales, 16- Reysander Fernandez, 17- Pedro Adriani Faife, 18- Reynier Alcantara

DNP / No jugaron: 4- Yusvanys Caballeros, 8- Joel Coloméd, 12- Dany Luis Quintero, 21- Julio Aldama

TD: Raul Gonzalez (CUB)

Booked /Amonestado:
HON – 16- Carlos Oliva 83’

CUB – 16- Reysander Fernandez 73’

Sent off / Expulsado:
CUB – 9- Alain Cervantes 87’

Terra/Concacaf