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(Future) Bulls Abroad: Honduras opens CONCACAF U-20 Championship with 1-0 win over Canada

Promising start to the CONCACAF U-20s for Honduras and future NYRB II player Douglas Martinez.

Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Second-half substitute Jorge Alvarez provided a memorable match-winner for Honduras in the opening game of the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.

The 76th-minute strike was the only goal of the match, and the win makes Honduras the favorite to progress from Group A alongside tournament favorite Mexico. Soon-to-be New York Red Bulls II player Douglas Martinez played the full 90 minutes for Los Catrachos.

Both sides had their chances, and Honduras will hope for greater fluency as the tournament progresses. A narrow win over Canada does not make Los Catrachos a favorite to make the top four of this competition (and thereby qualify for the U-20 World Cup). But it does make the job of getting into the top six a little easier.

Honduras can now clinch a place in the next round with a win over Antigua and Barbuda on February 20, if Mexico beats Canada the same day.

In the other match on the opening day of the Championship, Mexico beat Antigua and Barbuda, 3-0. Ronaldo Cisneros helped himself to two goals as the tournament favorite got its campaign off to a positive start.