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“…because of the unstable political situation in the Central American country, where martial law is in effect and civil liberties have been curtailed, there remained some doubt whether the World Cup qualifier match would go ahead as planned. In an attempt to dispel those fears, Jerome Valcke, secretary general of FIFA, said Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro that world soccer’s governing body has no intention of postponing or moving the game.”

Sending our national team into a tense situation like this…? 

Story via LA Times

“Valcke said the situation in Honduras, following the ouster of Manuel Zelaya as president and his subsequent return to the country, had not caused safety concerns that would affect the qualifying game.

If the situation worsens, however, FIFA could change its position, Valcke said.

There had been talk earlier of moving the match to neighboring Guatemala, or even to the U.S., but both options were met with consternation in Honduras.

“That match belongs to us and we won’t allow anyone to trample over us and take the game elsewhere,” Alfredo Hawit, secretary of the Honduran soccer federation, told the La Prensa newspaper. “We played against Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago in the same climate of political crisis and nothing happened. We are going to defend tooth and nail to play this match in our country.”

Since then, officials from FIFA and CONCACAF, soccer’s regional confederation, have said a switch in venues is unlikely.

The U.S.-Honduras match is supposed to take place in San Pedro Sula. Most of the political turmoil is taking place in the capital, Tegucigalpa, a little more than 100 miles away, and soccer officials believe San Pedro Sula is relatively tranquil.”