Japan vs. Honduras: International Friendly Schedule, Predictions & Preview - Los Catrachos Travel Halfway Around the World to Face the Samurai Blue

By Edwin Molina First Posted: Nov 13, 2014 09:51 PM EST

The Honduras national team is taking a long road trip during this round of international friendlies, traveling to Asia to take on Japan, as the team continues to adjust to life under Hernán Medford as the head coach.

Including the 2014 Copa Centroamericana and international friendlies, Los Catrachos are 3-3-2 since the hiring of Medford. The Costa Rican, who won the 2013 Honduran soccer league championship with Real España, replaced Luis Fernando Suárez, who guided the squad into the 2014 Brazil World Cup.

"I've seen videos of China and Japan, I know how they play," said Medford to the Honduran website Diez.hn regarding their upcoming trip to Asia.

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Honduras, unlike their CONCACAF brethren Mexico, the U.S. and Costa Rica, failed to impress in Brazil over the summer, getting swept in the Group Stage by Ecuador, Switzerland and France, but hope to turn the program around under their new head coach.

Major League Soccer's (MLS) Marvin Chavez of Chivas USA, MLS teammates Boniek Garcia and Luis Garrido of the Houston Dynamo and Victor Bernardez of the San Jose Earthquakes got the call up for the Asian tour while Jorge Claros of Sporting Kansas City was not invited on the trip.

Medford also called players based in Europe such as Maynor Figueroa of the English Football League Championship club Wigan F.C. as well as Arnold Peralta (Rangers F.C.) and Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic F.C.) who are playing in the Scottish Professional Football League to take the trek to Asia despite their busy schedules with their European soccer clubs.

Andy Najar of Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht, who has played incredibly well for the squad in UEFA Champions League action, was called up but will miss the games due to injury.

The big surprise was the goalkeeper, with Medford choosing to go with old Orlin Vallecillo of Honduran second division team Honduras Progreso over old Luis "Buba" López of Honduran first division team Real España.

Medford feels confident with squad he has selected, especially after playing well against Mexico and the United States in their last two games.

"The team has shown against Mexico and against the U.S. what they are capable of and we expect to do well," said Medford to Honduras newspaper El Heraldo. "The only problem may be this long trip with little rest but go there with a lot of enthusiasm."

Javier Aguirre, former head coach of the Mexican national team. Aguirre is 1-2-1 since taking over for Alberto Zaccheroni, who resigned and retired after helping Japan qualify into the 2014 Brazil World Cup.

Japan is looking to rebound after an abysmal World Cup that saw them finish last in the Group Stage, having faltered against Colombia, Greece and the Ivory Coast. Japan hopes a stronger performance at the 2015 Asian Cup, set to start in Jan. 9, can offset their World Cup performance. Japan is currently the Asian Cup defending champions, having defeated Australia for the title, who they will also play in a friendly next Tuesday.

"These two games are not about what I can try out," said Aguirre. "They're about looking ahead to the Asian Cup and winning."

While the Japanese squad is technically and skillfully sound, the team lacks a certain grit that Aguirre hopes to bring out with his experience having coached teams in Liga MX such as Atlante and Pachuca, as well as in Spanish La Liga with clubs such as Atlético Madrid, Real Zaragoza and RCD Espanyol.

"I felt they were missing a touch of 'picardia' and that's reflected at team level," said Aguirre after scouting the League professional soccer league in Japan. "I'm not saying it's right or wrong, it's just different to what I'm used to in Mexico or Spain, where they play every minute like it's life or death."

The defending 2011 Asian Cup champions have called up their players based in the Bundesliga, including Atsuto Uchida (FC Schalke 04), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund), Shinji Okazaki (FSV Mainz 05) and Makoto Hasebe (Frankfurt) as well as League veterans Yasuyuki Konno (Gamba Osaka), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka) and Keisuke Honda of Italian Serie A club AC Milan.

Aguirre will miss the game against Honduras but with the Asian Cup just weeks away, the team will be prepared for Honduras and Australia despite his absence.

"It's rare that you don't have your coach, but it will be only for a few days, and with our coach or not, it won't change that the two games will still be important," said Honda. "I think that we are going to have to brace up in working in our practices."

Predictions

Although Japan will be without their head coach, the team has more to play for in the upcoming exhibition game as they prepare to defend their Asian Cup title. The trip halfway around the world and the change in time zones may prove to be too much for Los Catrachos, giving Japan a tough fight but one in which Honduras will see themselves on the losing end of the scoreboard.