Three Latin American soccer teams - Brazil, Mexico, and dark horse Honduras, advanced to the quarterfinals at the London Olympics on Wednesday.
The most surprising of the three, Honduras entered the top eight
for the first time in its third Olympics.
"I am very, very proud of the players, they have worked hard for
the past seven months," said Honduras Luis Suarez, adding "the most
important thing to me is their morale, unity and friendship."
The Honduran team first stunned fans of the game by defeating
world soccer powerhouse Spain 1-0 in the first round. It tied
Morocco 2-2.
Then on Wednesday, the Honduras' U-23 team tied Japan 0-0 at
Coventry City Stadium. But it was enough to let them squeeze into
the quarter finals with five points, while Japan played a relaxed
game, with its ticket to the next round already secured, with seven
points.
Honduras will now face off against another world soccer power,
Brazil, which is seeking to win its first Olympic gold.
Mexico beat Switzerland 1-0 Wednesday at Millennium Stadium in
Cardiff, Wales, thanks to a goal scored by forward Oribe Peralta on
68 minutes.
Mexico now leads its group, B, with seven points, after an
earlier tie against South Korea, a victory against Gabon and today'
s triumph against Switzerland.
Next Saturday, Honduras will face Brazil in Newcastle, while
Japan will face Egypt in Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester.
Britain edged Uruguay 1-0, eliminating the South American
champion from the games.
