Sporting KC

Sporting KC midfielder Roger Espinoza left off Honduras’ Gold Cup roster


Honduras’ Roger Espinoza (right) defended as Omar Gonzalez of the United States cleared the ball in the first half during a World Cup qualifying soccer match at Rio Tinto Stadium on June 18, 2013, in Sandy, Utah.
Honduras’ Roger Espinoza (right) defended as Omar Gonzalez of the United States cleared the ball in the first half during a World Cup qualifying soccer match at Rio Tinto Stadium on June 18, 2013, in Sandy, Utah. The Associated Press

Honduras released its 23-man roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup next month, and one key name is absent, at least from Sporting Kansas City’s perspective:

Roger Espinoza.

Espinoza, the Sporting KC midfielder who represented Honduras at the 2014 World Cup, will not be part of the tournament’s group stage. He will remain eligible to be called in for the knockout stage.

That could lessen the headache for Sporting KC next month. The club had four other players named to their countries’ provisional rosters, making them eligible for the tournament, which runs July 7-26 and serves as CONCACAF’s regional championship.

Matt Besler and Graham Zusi are part of the U.S. 35-player provisional roster. Marcel de Jong (Canada) and Soni Mustivar (Haiti) are also possible selections for the tournament.

The rosters for each national team must be announced by June 23.

To reach Sam McDowell, call 816-234-4869 or send email to smcdowell@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @SamMcDowell11.

This story was originally published June 17, 2015 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Sporting KC midfielder Roger Espinoza left off Honduras’ Gold Cup roster."

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