A young American defense came apart on a hot, tropical afternoon in Honduras, and the United States opened the final round of World Cup qualifying with a loss for the first time in 24 years.
Jerry Bengtson took advantage of a defensive mix-up to score the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute, and Honduras rallied to beat the Americans 2-1 at San Pedro Sula.
“They were a much better team than us today. We did look flat,” American goalkeeper Tim Howard said.
Clint Dempsey put the U.S. ahead in the 36th minute with an impressive volley, but the Americans gave up the lead when Juan Carlos Garcia scored with a bicycle kick in the 40th minute.
“It was definitely a dagger. I didn’t see that coming,” said Omar Gonzalez, who started in place of longtime captain Carlos Bocanegra. “I didn’t see the guy on the back post. Maybe I should have looked over my shoulder and saw him quicker.”
Gonzalez had a chance to redeem himself, getting his head on a corner kick by Graham Zusi in the final seconds of stoppage time. But his shot from the six-yard box sailed well above the crossbar.
Playing without Landon Donovan, a veteran of three World Cups who is unsure whether to continue his career, the 28th-ranked U.S. was under pressure for much of the match against No. 59 Honduras.
The U.S., seeking its seventh straight trip to soccer’s showcase, lost its final-round opener for the first time since 1989 in Costa Rica. The Americans had been 12-3-3 against Honduras, including 3-0 in qualifiers at San Pedro Sula.
The general rule in qualifying is to win home games and pick up points on the road. The top three nations in the six-team group represent North and Central America and the Caribbean at next year’s World Cup in Brazil, and the No. 4 country advances to a playoff for another berth, likely against New Zealand.
Qualifying resumes when the U.S. hosts Costa Rica on March 22 at Commerce City, Colo.