As Julie and I sit together eating breakfast, we can hear nothing but the sounds of police sirens, ambulances, helicopters, and thousands of screaming Hondurans outside invading the streets of Tegucigalpa. And it has nothing to do with politics.
Last night seemed to be a hopeless situation for the Honduran national soccer team in their bid for a direct spot to the World Cup 2010 in South Africa, especially as the final minutes of the USA-Costa Rica game were winding down in favor of Costa Rica. Honduras did all they could do by beating El Salvador 1-0, and all they needed was a tie or a win from the USA who heartbreakingly beat Honduras 3-2 just a few days earlier. However, in the 95th minute (during the extra stoppage time!), the USA did Honduras a huge favor: tied Costa Rica 2-2 on a corner kick header goal…sending Honduras to South Africa!!!!
What ensued was called “carnival”—a stream of fans in Honduran jerseys and cars decorated in huge Honduran flags filling Boulevard Morazan, screaming, cheering, dancing into the wee hours of the night! The president declared a work-free “holiday” for the next day so that everyone could celebrate with friends and family all night long, enjoying every moment this special night had to offer a divided country.
During a time in which families, friends, communities, and a country have been split apart because of political issues, an event like this serves to unify the country and its people. For one moment, one day, all other issues are pushed aside and Hondurans are Hondurans—not golpista, not resistencia—but Hondurans, together, supporting the team that they love and the team that represents the pride and strength of their country.
Oh, and US-Honduran relations? They’ve never been better 🙂
