Not many people were surprised that the Hondurans were mercilessly crushed by France in their opening match. After all, they are priced +100,000 to win the 2014 World Cup as mentioned in our Group E preview. Then again, so was Costa Rica, who promptly upset Uruguay in their opening game of the tournament.
Ecuador, in the meantime, came close to upsetting Switzerland in their first game of the tournament, but fell short. Both teams need a win on Friday in order to keep their hopes of advancing to the second stage alive.
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Honduras vs. Ecuador, World Cup 2014, Group Stage Betting Preview and Prediction
Short on talent and visibly incapable of executing their own plays, the Hondurans instead resorted to dirty tactics to disrupt the attacks of France on Sunday, which proved to be fruitless as they lost 3-0. The team may serve their cause better if they focus their attention on playing meaningful football moving forward.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Although there is a dearth of star power on their side, the Hondurans do have formidable figures to reckon with.
Wilson Palacios is one of them. The talented midfielder is a solid tackler and has a knack for intercepting the ball. His play is capable of single-handedly turning things in his team’s favor. However, that wasn’t the case in the game against France, as the 29-year old veteran earned two yellow cards, the latter of which led to a penalty kick goal by France that broke the 0-0 tie in the first half.
The game against Ecuador figures to be the Hondurans’ best chance of scoring and winning a game in the group stage. Palacios, along with star defender Maynor Figueroa will have to anchor Honduras’ defense to be able to contain the Ecuadorians’ attacks, which by comparison, should be easier to thwart than the one the Hondurans faced against France.
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Betting on Ecuador
In their 2014 World Cup debut, Ecuador was dealt with a heartbreaking loss at the hands of Switzerland, who scored late in their match to break the tie and win 2-1.
The untimely death of striker Christian Benítez last year has been a major storyline for the team in this tournament. Ecaudor captain Enner Valencia has dedicated his tournament to the late friend of the team, and is doing an admirable job of filling in offensively for Benitez.
Valencia gave Ecuador the first lead of the match against the Swiss, when he punctured Switzerland’s defense with a goal in the 22nd minute of the match. With that goal, Valencia has now tallied a goal in each of the last five games for Ecuador.
Against Honduras, which is a team of lesser caliber than Switzerland, it would not come as a surprise if Valencia finds the back of the net again. Still, Valencia’s teammates must carry their share of the load as the Hondurans are sure to rough up Valencia, especially if Ecuador fails to establish another threat on the attack.
All this Valencia talk brings up another Valencia – Antonio. Antonio is the most recognizable player in the team, having played in the Premier League. His inconsistency, however, has been a problem for the squad. When he brings his A-game, Antonio leaves opponents perplexed by his sly ball control and passing.
Writer’s Prediction
Ecuador will break into the win column using a methodical breakdown of the Hondurans. Take Ecuador to win at -174.
