French Guiana stuns Honduras in Gold Cup playoff

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Mar 26, 2015

Not so fast yet on that USA-Honduras match to open the Gold Cup. French Guiana, which has never played in the Gold Cup, stunned the Catrachos, 3-1, in the first leg of their playoff series.

It would be quite a shocker, though, if French Guiana, ineligible for FIFA competition, survives the second leg. Sloan Privat, who scored two goals in his Yana Doko debut, has to return to his French club Caen and will miss Sunday's game in San Pedro Sula.

Forward Jerry Bengtson, on loan from the New England Revolution to Argentina's Belgrano, gave Honduras the lead in the 17th minute at the Stade Edmard Lama in Remire-Montjoly, but French Guiana went ahead within 10 minutes on goals by captain Marvin Torvic and Privat, who added the insurance goal in the 62nd minute.

Privat is one of three first division players recruited by French Guiana's general manager, 1998 World Cup champion Bernard Lama.

Twelve of the players in the 25-player squad are based in French Guiana, but most others play in lower divisions in France. Torvic plays in the German fourth division.

Two MLS players -- Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza and Houston Dynamo midfielder Luis Garrido -- started for Honduras.