Honduras took a 4-0 victory over Grenada in their Concacaf Gold Cup matchup at BBVA Stadium in Houston on Tuesday, leaping atop Group D with the three-point result.
Jerry Bengston scored the opener just shy of the half-hour mark and Edwin Solano added the second in the 52nd minute to give Honduras a 2-0 lead they would hold until the last few minutes of the match, when Johnny Leverón and former Houston Dynamo FC standout and current CF Montréal man Romell Quioto rounded it off with a pair of late strikes.
Grenada came just inches from the opener in the 25th minute off a corner kick that ended with a shot put on frame by Omar Beckles, but got cleared off the line by a Honduras defender. That proved consequential, as Honduras jumped on top three minutes later, when Bengston dispossessed Grenada goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook right in front of his own goal and slotted home the opener.
The 1-0 scoreline would stand until the 52nd, when Honduras struck for their second of the evening through Solano. The 25-year-old winger broke free all alone down the left flank and ran onto a Deybi Flores through ball before coolly slotting home the finish past Charles-Cook.
Honduras added a pair of late finishes that put the match to bed, first through Leverón, who took a feed from Alexander López and cashed home the third goal with a clinical finish with the outside of his foot. Quioto then sent the crowd into a frenzy two minutes from full time, combining with fellow former Dynamo attacker Alberth Elis, who had joined him earlier as a second-half substitute, to cash home the game's final goal.
Goals
- 28' — HON — Jerry Bengston
- 52' — HON — Edwin Solano
- 85' — HON — Johnny Leverón
- 88' — HON — Romell Quioto
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: It was a more competitive match than the final scoreline might indicate, as Honduras got a worthy fight from a Grenada side that came in as a heavy underdog as the smallest nation competing in this year's Gold Cup. In the end, the result puts Honduras in great position to advance, as they're atop Group D by virtue of Qatar's wild 3-3 draw with Panama and managed to pad their goal differential with the pair of late finishes.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: It's the capper from Quioto, who gave the crowd in Houston a great moment when he slotted home the fourth goal allowing the fans in attendance a chance to give him a rousing ovation.
MAN OF THE MATCH: We'll stay on that theme and give Quioto the honors here as well, given the storyline surrounding his Houston homecoming, and the fact he marked it with a goal.
Next Up
- HON: Saturday, July 17 vs. Panama | 9:30 pm ET | FS1, TUDN, Univision | Concacaf Gold Cup Group Stage
- GRN: Saturday, July 17 vs. Qatar | 7:30 pm ET | FS1, TUDN, Univision | Concacaf Gold Cup Group Stage
