WCQ DIARY: A Canadian fan's experience travelling alongside CanMNT to Honduras
Andrew Kaminsky, Special to OneSoccer
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras – Leaking pipes, eroding concrete, and the chain-wire fence surrounding the pitch set an intimidating mood. Walking into the aged building sends a few shivers down the spine. The uncertainty of the atmosphere and the passion of the crowd has you prepared for the worst.
Honduras is currently sitting at the bottom of the CONCACAF table with no wins after 10 games.
Attending a World Cup Qualifying match in San Pedro Sula, Honduras is dangerous for two groups of people: the home team, and their mothers.
Brought upon by disappointing results and underperforming players, the foul words and clever insults hurtled at the team in blue and white were both incredibly down-putting and fantastically hilarious. Mothers of La Selección Nacional Honduras would do well to stay away from the crowd. They don’t need to hear such obscenities said about their sons.
Most of the good insults I won’t share in print, but frustrated calls were heard whenever a Honduran player made a play that wasn’t up to standard. And, if I’m honest, I got more entertainment out of the dejected Honduran abuses than I did out of the match. And the match was fantastic.
A previous journey to Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula in 2012 left Canada humiliated after an 8-1 defeat. A few of the Honduran faithful recognized I wasn’t there to cheer on the ‘good guys’ and were quick to point out this fond memory.
But 10 minutes into the match, when Tajon Buchanan ricocheted a ball into the net off a Honduran defender, these voices seemed to disappear. And outside of a few great opportunities for the Hondurans and even better saves by Canadian keeper Milan Borjan, there wasn’t a lot for them to cheer.
These Central American venues have a reputation for being incredibly hostile places and while rare, violence has broken out in this stadium before. Couple that with the reputation San Pedro Sula once had for being the most dangerous city in the world, and your survival instincts tell you to keep a low profile as a member of the opposing side’s fanbase.
The reality was far from what I expected, thankfully. Once I concluded that I wasn’t in any real danger of urine bags, or worse, I was able to settle comfortably into the game and give my support to the Canadian team. A couple of stellar one-handed diving stops by Borjan, topped off by a world class goal from Lille forward Jonathan David that brought even some of the Hondurans out of their seats, and Canada kept its feet planted firmly atop the CONCACAF standings.
Is it Safe?
Despite the nasty reputation of the city and Central American soccer venues, going there to respectfully cheer on your team is no problem. There are police lining the stairways in each section which is probably unnecessary yet reassuring all the while.
To generalize, Hondurans are very friendly people and very passionate soccer fans. They’re a lot of fun and helpful if you need. I’ve had nothing but great experiences here. I met a Canadian father with his two sons of about ages 8 and 14 after the match. They had a great time at the game and loved the result. There were quite a few children at the match, and my rule of thumb is that if you are somewhere unfamiliar and there are children around, you can generally assume that it’s a safe area.
How Expensive is it?
Tickets to the game range from roughly $5-25, with a half price discount for seniors. A plate of French fries and sausages goes for about $3 and a Coca-Cola will run you $2. To my displeasure, beer was not sold at the stadium. It might be for the best but like many Canadians, when I’m at a live sporting event I like to sip on a cold one.
Side note: Some drink vendors walking the sections will sell beer on the downlow. They aren’t technically allowed to sell it, but a cold can of Miller Lite will cost $2.50. The security police don’t seem to care if you are sat beside them and drinking it. Don’t ask me how I know.
Bizarre Food?
Alongside the regular favourites like grilled meats, slushies, and salchipapas (fries and sausages), there was one peculiar dish on offer.
It’s a bit of a divisive plate but at this stadium you can find someone selling turtle eggs in sauce. While not my cup of tea, the man who was selling this snack seemed to be busy most of the match. Maybe it tastes great, but I couldn’t bring myself to find out.
How Crazy are the Crowds?
With COVID regulations restricting capacity to 50%, the crowd was not quite as rambunctious as it usually is. That being said, there were some Honduran aficionados that were all too keen to take jabs at their own team. This made for a jovial atmosphere. Fans would almost compete to see who could come up with the most creative insults.
If you watched the game, you undoubtedly heard horns being blown at all times. Vendors who walk around selling the horns are more unpopular than the Honduran players, however. They shout to the crowd seeing if there are any potential buyers, and everyone in unison yells back “NOOOO!”
Nobody wants to be seated near one of these horn-blowers. If you can hear them on TV, imagine how loud it is sitting beside one. But they are particularly popular with kids. They’ll spend the whole match blowing on this horn supporting their team. It only takes a few of them to have the entire stadium deafened by the sound.
What is San Pedro Sula Like?
The city’s reputation for danger and violence is not the reality. Most of the violence came years ago when rival criminal organizations were fighting for power. That dispute has since been settled and the city is welcoming and safe to explore. Driving down the main roads you’ll see some surprisingly Americanized suburbs.
Almost every American fast-food chain can be found in San Pedro Sula from McDonald’s and Burger King to Church’s Chicken and Denny’s. Many big-name American hotel chains also have a location in San Pedro Sula. It was extremely popular in the 1970s and 80s for Hondurans to find their way to America. Upon seeing the fast-food spots and chain businesses, some Hondurans upon returning home began to open their own franchises.
Due to this, an impressive amount of the residents here are fluent in English. The city has a very American feel to it. One of the best breweries for craft beer I’ve ever been to is here in San Pedro Sula as well. La20 has a delicious selection of stouts, IPAs, sours, weissbiers, and much more. A must visit if you appreciate quality beer.
The city center is a sprawling street market that doesn’t need to be avoided but isn’t a visually appealing place. If unaccustomed to ‘roughing it’ while travelling, the public transportation is also best avoided. Uber and registered taxis provide much more comfortable rides than the shuttle buses and ‘chicken buses’ that run the city’s routes.
All in all, I was quite surprised by San Pedro Sula. I was expecting sketchy neighbourhoods, dirty streets, and the whole city to look the way the central area does. I was not expecting American fast-food chains, a phenomenal brewery, and the majority of residents to speak English.
I’m eager to see what can be said about Canada’s next stop on the qualifying calendar.
